Dear People Whom God Loves,
I suggest that this could be one description of what prayer is. We will look first at Being Honest and then at The Presence of Love.
• I feel superior to others
• I hurt people with my anger
• Money is big to me
• I envy others
• I am afraid
• I steal
• I am living in hell
• I want to give up
• I have been blessed
• I think I am holy
• I want things my way
• I am not using my talents
• I keep secrets • I feel inferior to others
• I hurt people sexually
• Food, alcohol, drugs are big to me
• I am lazy
• I lie
• I am lonely
• I am grateful
• I am suicidal
• I deserve to have more than others
• I am an especially good Catholic
• I look down on some kinds of people
• I can handle addiction myself
• I can grow better
These are random thoughts that came to my mind. We all need to add our own. These examples are mostly negative. That is because these are traits that we tend to avoid looking at. Don’t put yourself down. Just acknowledge that they are there.
In The Presence of Love:
I used the word Love rather than God. I did that because the word God is at times used as an unloving image. When I use the word Love, I am referring to the mystery that the word God points to. All words are inadequate, but Love is the best one for me. The scripture also says, “God is love.”
We may also have the difficulty of not having any feeling of that presence. As we continue to be quiet, a sense of that presence may come. If it does, great. If it doesn’t, that’s okay too. The presence is there whether we feel it or not.
What is the attitude of Love? Love understands what we are going through, feels tenderness and compassion for us, is aware of all that has happened to us through the years, smiles and holds us close, is not interested in blaming and punishing, helps
us to realize that we are not alone, helps us to accept the challenge that we can grow into better living and will accompany us on the painful and difficult journey.
As humans, it is good for us to remember that we can only be loved into love and can only love others into love. We can’t force, bully or manipulate someone into love. If that is true of human love, it must be infinitely more true of the mysterious loving spirit energy we name Love (God).
Smile, God Loves You,
Father Clay
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