God Reveals Himself Freely

"Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him." - Matthew 11:27

I've made a mistake which I'm working on correcting. When Jesus said to be light and salt of the world, I took that to mean that I must make sure everyone prays and goes to church, when in reality, it means that with my actions and my words, I should plant a seed. A lot of times, if we are religious, we look to have, those around us pray just like we do thinking that it's up to them to force the call of God. But when we as individuals decide to follow God, it's because God Himself has called us and we responded, not because anyone has made us. God might use us to encourage one another, plant a seed, but at the end of the day, God reveals Himself freely to whom He wishes and when He chooses. It says in this verse that God the Father has entrusted all things to the Son, meaning that Jesus knows what He's doing. Just because your loved one refuses to go to church now, doesn't mean that God won't call Him down the road in life to serve Him, and then they might be even more religious than you are now. It all depends on God's perfect timing but He does make sure all are called. Trees can't grow without the farmers, so for our part, we need to plant those seeds. However, the farmers don't make those seeds grow, only God can do that. Only He can make what you've planted blossom.

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, I pray for those that have not been called by You yet, and I pray for myself so that I can have more faith in Your timing. Instead of thinking I know how things should go, teach me how to wait and how to encourage a seed to grow. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Why There Is So Much Suffering In The World

"Jesus said to him, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' And Peter answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Look after my sheep.'" - John 21:16

This is a story I just read in a book called "This Is Our Faith:"
There is a story about a priest and a soap maker who were friends. One day, while taking a walk in the city, the soap maker asked his friend, "What possible good can religion be? After thousands of years of preaching goodness, truth, and peace, look at all the misery, poverty, and sin in the world. If religion is supposed to be so beneficial for people, why should this be?" For awhile, the priest said nothing in reply. Shortly, they came to a school yard where some children were playing in the dirt. They were covered with grime. The priest then spoke up, "See those kids. You say that soap makes people clean, but still those children are filthy. I wonder how effective soap is after all." The soap maker protested, "But, Father, soap is of no value unless people use it." "Precisely," replied the priest. "And so it is with religion."

Faith and religion are empty unless we put them into practice. It's very easy to complain about why there is poverty in this world if God loves us so much, why are there people suffering. The answer is that Jesus came to the world to show us how to love others, have concern for others, take care of others. This is why He commanded Peter to take care of and feed His sheep. We are to be Jesus' hands, feet, mouths, ears, and eyes here on earth. If there are people suffering, starving, it is our own fault for not helping them. Saint Basil said, "the bread you store up belongs to the hungry; the cloak that lies in your chest belongs to the naked," and this is very true. Our jobs as Christians isn't just to believe there is a God but to let the suffering feel and know there is a God by our caring for them. This is how God manifests Himself.

Please, use your time to volunteer to help the needy. Catholic Charities is a great start, or contact your local church. If you don't have the time, donate money. Instead of spending 10 dollars on a movie ticket, give it to a child that needs money for school books. Take care of Jesus' sheep…you do not help the problem by just observing and complaining about it.

Today's Prayer:
Lord, You have called me to be Your hands and feet so that I may help the poor and suffering in the world. Open my heart and mind to see where I am needed and where I can further Your kingdom here on earth. In Your Name we pray, Amen.