Catholic Revelation

It seems as if it is during those most difficult trials in life when we human beings push God aside. Why is that? Through my own struggles in life, I continue to learn a valuable lesson about the importance of putting God first in my life. The relationship between diminishing, inner peace and distance from God is no small coincidence. In fact, that distance from God is the reason for our struggles in the first place. The struggle for a better life seems like a vicious circle and usually it is not until my own vain, human efforts result in sadness and suffering that I turn my attention back to Jesus and the teachings of my Catholic faith. As an analogy, I sometimes imagine my life as a bottomless pool of water. There is a life preserver near by, but instead of using it, I push it aside. I’d rather rely on my own determination and so I put full trust in myself. As I struggle to stay afloat, I imagine how silly it must look with my arms and legs frantically splashing in the water while I gasp for air, struggling to keep my head above water. As I grow tired, weary and frustrated with my luck, I become more and more annoyed with the life preserver; insisting it is in my way and distracting me from doing what I need to do. Not until I have completely exhausted all of my energy and realize I am going to drown, do I grasp for God’s hand and hold on for dear life. Finally, I come to that inevitable conclusion that there is nothing worthwhile in life I can accomplish apart from God. When I fail to include God in my plans, I fail to make a better life for myself and others. I know I am not the only human being that faces these struggles and forgets that God is our life preserver.  So, what can possibly save us from this human despair and make us realize we’re going in painful circles every time we forget our faith? I can tell you what has worked for me: We Catholics practice and believe in prayer (James 5:16: The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective), but maybe we underestimate its power. Or, maybe we simply forget to use it when we need it most. I will illustrate this through my own personal example:  Read more...