feels God has abandoned them or the Church?
Praying with Scripture
“For he has said, ‘I will never fail you nor forsake you’” (Heb 13:5).
Wednesday
God Brings Stillness to Our Troubled Times
Open the gates,
that the righteous nation which keeps faith
may enter in.
You keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord for ever,
for the Lord God
is an everlasting rock.
Isaiah 26:2–4
All of us at some point in our lives will face personal struggles, whether they be physical, emotional, financial, or relational. It’s not something we can avoid. In fact, Jesus warned us that we would face such trials; but he also promised that we could rest cheerfully because he has overcome the world (cf. Jn 16:33). Such promises help to sustain us when we face the tough times and fear we will falter under the pressure. God opens the door to his powerful presence and brings us to a place of peace.
God may not remove our troubles right away (or at all), but we can believe that he loves us and is working out our salvation through each and every circumstance. As we weather the storms of life and strive to seek the face of God when life throws its worst at us, we become caught up in the peace of Christ. We can then focus our minds on the place where those who trust in God come to dwell. We become part of the ongoing story of recovery, righteousness, and rest, a story that shines upon the world and lights the way for all those who will come after us.
Questions for reflection
When have you experienced the perfect peace of God in the midst of a difficult struggle?
Why is it important to keep our faith strong and focus our minds on the peace of God when we are facing trials and tribulations?
How can you bring the precious presence of Christ into the life of a brother who is struggling today?
Praying with Scripture
“And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mk 4:39).
Thursday
With a Word, God Can Bring the Fury of Our Fight to an End
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:27
May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Psalm 29:11
When we struggle with conflict in our lives, it can lead to a spirit of anger, resentment, fear, or despair. These things can overwhelm us and shut down the good we are called to do. We need to remember that Jesus longs to speak peace into our hearts. When God speaks a word to us, it has the power to come alive. When he tells us to “Be not afraid,” we can truly lay aside all fear. When he says, “Peace be with you,” peace enters our hearts. He wants to lift us up from our struggles and conflicts and bring us to a heavenly place where we see these conflicts for what they are. From heaven’s heights our earthly struggles seem small indeed.
We who have experienced the perfect peace of Christ know that we have the strength to overcome the obstacles of life and turn the journeys through our struggles into a living sign of the power of God to bring peace to our souls. Like the mighty saints of old, our faith stories become a testament of wisdom that we can pass on to those who will go through similar struggles in their lives.
Questions for reflection
When has God caused you to stop struggling or to give up your conflicts in favor of his lasting peace?
When you face trials, do you seek the Word that will bring the fury of your fight to an end?
What word can you speak to someone dealing with conflict in his life?
Praying with Scripture
“When the cares of my heart are many, / your consolations cheer my soul” (Ps 94:19).
Friday
We Live in the City of God
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God!
His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
Within her citadels God
has shown himself a sure defense.
As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God establishes for ever.
Psalm 48:1–3, 8
Through the storms of life, believers can take comfort that in the future we will enter the eternal City of God. No matter how much we struggle, God promises us that the violence and chaos of life will give way to eternal life in a city so beautiful, so secure, that we will never worry or experience sin or sadness again.
Even now on earth, Catholics experience the City of God within the Church. She is our beautiful refuge from the struggles of life, a fortress of righteousness and joy, the source of our nourishment in the sacraments. We can be assured that she will stand from now until the time when Our Lord comes again to judge the living and the dead. In her we see the victory that is ours in Christ, and we can share this Good News with generations to come.
Questions for reflection
How does this vision of our heavenly Jerusalem help you to live in freedom today?
What is the most beautiful aspect of the Catholic Church that gives you comfort and peace?
What are you passing on to future generations of believers to give them the hope of heaven?
Praying
