Did you ever have one of the moments that you know will be etched on your heart forever because of how spectacularly moving it was? I believe we are only given a few, and many may miss the beauty in them if they are not keenly aware. I had one the other day.
We had a terrible, unimaginable tragedy in our parish and school community. A young life was lost and it has been extremely heavy and devastating. My emotions, along with many others, have run the gamut of anger, sadness, confusion, the list goes on. It is hard to see what good can come from this. But then I did.
A gathering of students, siblings, and parents in the back pews of a dark church on a dreary day to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and other prayers. A young lady, high school age, just started singing the Hail Mary in Latin and the entire crowd joined it. I could hear the choirs of angels singing with us in my heart. It was the most beautiful testimony to faith, hope, and love, to the resilience of the faithful, to the power of friendship and commitment. My words do not do it justice. Many more prayer gatherings occurred. The power of prayer was evident during these darkest of days.
Because of Friends
In today’s gospel the paralyzed man is healed because of his friends’ faith. Whether that healing happens on earth or in heaven is not up to us. What is up to us are the prayers and commitment to faith, and surrender to the will of God, and in the trusting that His ways are not our ways. I have seen first hand the resilience that comes from this holy trust.
I am reminded of Isaiah 55:8-9: “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
We pray in the Divine Mercy Chaplet, “that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.”
Peace
As we begin this second week of Advent, we are reminded to focus on peace. The peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding. Whether you are going through a crisis or every day struggles, try to sit with the Lord this week and meditate on His peace. Remember, you do not have to understand; you have to submit and trust and surrender whatever “it” is, to Him.
My four-year-old daughter overheard me talking about everything that has happened and said, “Mom, nothing is impossible with God.” I thanked her for reminding me of this and she replied, “Well, you taught us to say this.” Indeed, it may be one of our family memory verses, but today she was teaching me. We all can benefit from a little reminder once in a while. May the Prince of Peace reign in your heart today and always.
