Pray, Hope and Sleep Peacefully in the Arms of God

We were sitting having dinner the other evening. Outside on the deck on a patio chair was one of our neighborhood cats. She was curled up, peacefully asleep, unaware of the turmoil that defines our present day. I commented to my wife that this reminds me of the Scripture passage when Our Lord states:

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one hour to his life?” (Mt 6:26)

Certainly, our lives are more complicated than those of animals, but we also need to realize that our God-given nature provides the guidelines for our actions and not everything that we do should be part of a master plan emanating from our minds. Perhaps the move to redefine our very nature today is a product of this lack of acceptance that God is in charge and has designed our existence based on His infinite power and knowledge. We cannot confuse free will with unfettered freedom to choose life on our terms. A priest once stated in a homily that I heard, “The most popular song in heaven most likely is not Frank Sinatra’s, ‘I did it my way.’”

During this year of the Eucharistic Revival, we have been asked to rekindle our very beliefs and to focus on the supernatural reality, trusting in the words that “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor 2:9)  Simple instinctive trust motivating intellectual actions is our foundation. Great intellectual figures and simple souls have defined the Church throughout history. Those who achieved great intellectual heights while maintaining a simple faith stand as our models. The amazing legacy of Christianity is apparent when we simply look around us. As a frequent visitor to Europe, I take for granted the amazing legacy of the Church. Growing up in Chicago where churches marked most every corner during my childhood, the Faith was apparent and taken for granted. Perhaps this explains why we have seen it diminish. In the secular pool in which we swim today, focus on our Christian foundation is imperative. Christ lost many followers at Capernaum when He presented the reality of the Eucharist. He also lost many followers in the 21^st century when they turned away in the same manner, drawn by the allure of secularism.

Childlike Faith and Grounded Simplicity

Children possess simple faith. If it is nurtured positively, they grow up to be adults who put aside childishness while remaining childlike in their faith and actions. The demands of life, however, cause us to stray from this trust. We need to strive to maintain the serenity that our focus on God brings, especially in these times when we are experiencing a cultural shift away from our established values. Yes, we must fight to maintain our culture but we must also accept that converting the world is, and always has been, the mission of the Church. The early adherents suffered persecution as a necessary requirement to this end. They did not, however, focus on that but on the mission.

Tensions are heightened during this political season. Many are concerned with the direction of the nation and of the world, as well we should be. Political activism is necessary for a Catholic so that we voice our concerns for the issues that are dear to us, and to affect political change as necessary. The bigger question is do we as individuals pray for our leaders, whether or not they are our candidates? The Fatima message calls us to pray for the conversion of sinners. This includes and begins with us as we cannot give what we do not have. Only with this attitude can we reverse the deterioration of our society. 

I believe that domestic animals are put in our lives to help us be grounded in the simplicity that He expects of us. Observing the cat on my deck I know that she is not worried about which candidates to vote for in the upcoming elections, nor does she focus on the consumer price index or how the stock market is doing. She is focused on resting and seeking the next meal, which we will most likely provide. Planning is important but obsessing over things that we have little influence over diverts us from trusting God.

God bless you and Mary keep you in her Immaculate Heart.

David M. Carollo is the Executive Director of the World Apostolate of Fatima USA/National Blue Army Shrine. He wrote this for his Voice of Fatima column.

If you would like to comment on this post, please contact him at [email protected].