Claretian Teaching Ministry

God’s Waiting Room

One of the more ironic terms in our frenetic world is the term “rush hour” – the hour when drivers “rush” into a frustrating near-gridlock. Similarly, in our prayer life, our urgent “please – rush” prayer petitions often meet with only exasperating delays.

We are often in more of a hurry than God is. Peter, sinking into the water, prayed hastily and urgently, “Lord, save me!” David’s panicked prayer in Psalm 70 is another example: “Hasten, … 0 Lord, come quickly to help me …. 0 Lord, do not delay.” (Apparently he had forgotten his own advice in Psalms 27:14: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”)

In times like these, where is God, who promises to give “grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb 4:16)? Faith answers: God’s timing orchestrates his loving providence; “The Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him” (Is 30:18).

Joseph waited two years to be freed from prison. His patience paid off, enabling him to reconcile with his family and save many lives (see Genesis 50:19-21). Moses waited through ten plagues and forty years of desert heat. Mary and Martha watched Lazarus die while waiting for Jesus (see John 11). If you’re in a hurry when God isn’t, synchronize your watch with his. His delays are neither denials nor defeats, but merely his providentially disguised love.

“One-Minute Mediations for Busy People”

God’s Will in Suffering (”Three Ways to Carry a Cross” – Tape # 252, CD # –)”>

Ways to Read God’s Love Letter

One of the things that motivate cultural archaeologists to keep digging deeper after making a find is the realization that many ancient cities are “stacked” on the ruins of previous cities; often several civilizations are found at the same location.

Likewise, exploring God’s word, we discover levels of truth. Historical truth – facts or words involving real people and events – often lead to doctrinal truths about God, man, sin, and salvation. Digging deeper, we find practical truth, enabling us to act on God’s word (see James 1:22-25), where learning leads to living. And even deeper probing reveals devotional truth, where the Holy Spirit teaches us (see John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-15) through his sacred words in ways that enlighten, enable, enrich, and encourage us.

God’s word was not written to us but for us (see 2 Timothy 3:16). Digging through that word at the deepest level – that of devotional truth-we focus on the spiritual essentials, not on geographical or historical incidentals. For instance, prayerful meditation on the miraculous opening of the Red Sea (see Exodus 14) may remind us of the many times God has “opened up” opportunities for us in difficult situations. Have we ever thanked him for those grace-filled opportunities?

Prayerful reading of God’s word can warn us (see 1 Corinthians 10:1-12), offer hope to us (see Romans 15:4), and provide many other helpful insights, especially as we come to recognize it as a personal message from him (see 1 Thessalonians 2: 13).

“One-Minute Meditations for Busy People”

Egypt, Oil and the Bible? (”Four Secrets for Enjoying the Word of God” – Tape # 225, CD # –)

Penny Wise… ( from -Why Me, Lord? – Single CD # 9533)

How Much Is a Human Worth?At mid-century prices, an iron ingot sold for $5. Made into horseshoes, its value was $10.50. Manufactured into needles, its value jumped to $5,000. Crafted into high-grade balance springs for watches, it’s worth a quarter of a million dollars!Workmanship of a human enhances the value of the most ordinary material. But what is the value of the human workman, “made a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned with glory and honor” (Ps 8:5)? The decline of morality, according to James Reston, is due to the “decline in the belief in each person as something precious.” Value-regard is the soil of love-the criterion by which all men will know that we are Jesus’ disciples (see John 13:35). The challenge is to “not love [merely] with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (1 Jn 3:18).There are countless ways to do this: a father devoting as much time and interest to his wife and children as to his job; a mother radiating inspiration, as only she can, to her children; a student studying diligently to be better prepared to change the world by his chosen profession; the nurse who shows that the “unwritten ingredient in each prescription is love”; the mechanic who enjoys making cars safer for others; the politician who puts truth and justice above the garnishing of votes; the writer who seeks to uplift, not downgrade, the ideals of his readers; the “everyman” who cultivates love wherever it isn’t thriving. “One-Minute Meditations for Busy People”

Amnesty DayThe Chicago Public Library recently declared an “Amnesty Day” for borrowers of overdue books. With no fines and no questions asked, over ten thousand books were returned, some overdue since 1934!Every day is “Amnesty Day” with God; he’s more eager to forgive us our debts than we are eager to be forgiven. “You are forgiving and good, 0 Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you” (Ps 86:5). Who would not call on him? Who more than a prisoner enjoys freedom? And who more than a sinner should enjoy God’s forgiveness? Since everyone is a sinner (see 1 John 1:8) we can all rejoice that for us, forgiveness is incredibly easy, since “the blood of Jesus … purifies us from all sin” (v. 7).For the return of an overdue sinner, no questions will be asked; just return to God in humble repentance. Any Magdalene can hear the gentle, forgiving voice of Jesus urging her to sin no more. A dying thief can hear the promise of an immediate paradise. The housewife with her peccadillos of impatience can feel the soothing balm of Christ’s tender mercy. The inconsiderate husband sees his selfishness replaced by the selflessness of a strong but kindly Jesus. The child sees his little flaws of disobedience melt in the springtime smile of the lover of little ones. No questions asked, but the ear of God is always attuned to hear the sheepish words, “I’m sorry,” as we “approach the throne of grace … to receive mercy” (Heb 4:16).

“One-Minute Meditations for Busy People”

The Art of Suffering (DVD # 3522)

An Easy Way to Make It RainWould you believe that it’s possible to make it rain by simply demanding it with a loud voice? It’s true! High in China’s Gaoligong Mountains in the northwest part of Yunnan Province are a group of pools nicknamed “The Enchanting Lakes.” When anyone shouts for rain while standing near the lakes, a downpour often immediately follows, says the Shanghai Liberation Daily. The louder the shout, the heavier the rain; the longer the shout, the longer the rain.To explain this believe-it-or-not phenomenon, physicists theorize that the air around the lakes is often supersaturated with humidity, which precipitates as rain when coalesced by certain vibrations, such as a high-volume or high-pitched voice.We have all fantasized of getting instant response to our heaven-directed prayers, like tourists inducing rainfall by bellowing near the Enchanting Lakes. After all, Jesus did say, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mk 11:24). But if the belief (faith) requirement is defective, the spiritual ”vibes” will be inadequate.The solution? Two sentences before the above quote, Jesus says, “Have faith in God.” It is only when we exert God-oriented faith that this promise will be effective. Mere faith in our faith or faith in our prayer is not enough to do the trick.

“One-Minute Meditations for Busy People”

Musings on Jeremiah