Good News Reflection
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
April 4, 2011 This reflection is also available as an audio podcast:
http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts Today’s Readings:
Isaiah 65:17-21
Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13
John 4:43-54
http://www.usccb.org/nab/040411.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_04_04.mp3 Miracles without signs and wonders Why is it that we so easily feel discouraged when we don't "see" the answers to our prayers? Jesus says in today's Gospel reading, "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe." He said this to a dad who wanted Jesus to come to his house to heal his son. This man's faith depended on the same thing that ours so often does: "Seeing is believing". He thought that he could only get a miracle if Jesus physically showed up at his house to pray over the boy. Jesus invited him to grow beyond that. Have you ever wished that Jesus would appear to you in person to assure you that everything is going to turn out okay? I sure have! But then where is our trust in the power and goodness of God? What kind of faith exists without trust? Jesus told the worried father, "Go on with your life as normal. Your son will live." This is what Jesus is saying to all of us every time we pray. "Go on with your life as normal," he says. "Now that you've given the problem to me, trust in my wisdom and perfect timing. Don't take it back by disbelieving that I'm working on it. Go about your normal business as if I'm taking care of it beyond your field of vision, because I am." Do you know why Genesis says God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh? To teach us that God never rests until his work is done! He's not asking us to ignore our problems. Ongoing prayer keeps us in touch with God so that when he says, "Okay, here's what I want you to do next...", we'll be able to hear him and follow his instructions. Some of our church prayers accidentally contribute to the feeling that God's not working outside our field of vision. For example, when we end our intercessory requests with "Lord, hear our prayer", the implication is that God hasn't already been listening, watching, and working, and that we need to beg him to take action. We should consciously remind ourselves that we're really saying: "Lord, THANK YOU for hearing our prayer! I know you'll take good care of this need, and I trust your timing and your way of handling it." That's what "amen" means. What miracles do you need? Write down all your prayer requests, then tuck them in your Bible. As you close the cover, give Jesus your trust. This is how to live an "amen" kind of life instead of worrying and disbelieving and seeking signs and wonders for proof of God's involvement. The signs and wonders will happen, but the who, what, when and where of them will be God's choosing, not ours. After all, would you really want it any other way? © 2011 by Terry A. Modica
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