I read my youngest daughter's blog entry and after comforting her over the phone, I just have to share something that has never failed to uplift me even in my lowest moments. I found it in the writings of one of my favourite authors, the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen of the USA. He was a priest, a teacher, an eloquent spokesman for Catholicism. Gifted with words and showered with graces, he delivered sermons that both inspire us to do good and evoke contrition of the hearts. He had the gift of giving spiritual reflections from varied perspectives that quickens the heart and refreshes the soul.
This reflection is one of my favourites.
He said "it is not our will that matters, it is the Lord's. This is the difference between prayer and worship. Prayer is the expression of my will; worship is the acceptance of God's will. The two are quite distinct. Just run through the Old Testament and see how very often, one of the great biblical characters, like Abraham, prays to God, expresses his own will, and then God says to him, "Offer your son, Isaac". And he prostrates himself. That is his worship"
Archbishop Sheen also gave the beautiful example of David's response to his son's death.
As we read in 2 Samuel, after the prophet Nathan told David that he (David) had killed Uriah, "The Lord struck the boy whom Uriah's wife had borne to David. And he was very ill. David prayed to God for the child, he fasted and went in and spent the night fasting, lying on the ground. The older men of the household tried to get him to rise from the ground, but he refused and would eat no food with them. On the seventh day the boy died, and David's servants were afraid to tell him 'While the boy was alive', they said, 'we spoke to him and he did not listen to us; how can we now tell him that the boy is dead? He may do something desperate'. David saw his servants whispering among themselves and guessed that the boy was dead. He asked, 'Is the boy dead?' And they answered, 'He is dead'. Then David rose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and put on fresh clothes; he entered the house of the Lord and prostrated himself there. Then he went home, asked for food to be brought, and when it was ready, he ate. The servants asked him,'What is this? While the boy lived you fasted and wept for him, but now that he is dead you rise up and eat? He answered, 'While the boy was still alive I fasted and wept, thinking, 'It may be that the Lord would be gracious to me, and the boy may live'. But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back? I shall go to him, and he will not come back to me'.
David worshipped the Lord. The difference between praying and worshipping is the difference between my will and God's will.
What struck me when I first read this reflection was the realisation that my prayer is the expression of MY WILL. It has made me accepted with grace the things that came my way that were different from what I prayed for. I know God loves me, I am precious in His eyes, He has written my name in the palm of His hands (Isaiah 49:16), He knows what is good to give to me (Mathew 7:7-8) and if I should walk in the valley of darkness, no evil shall I fear, for He is there with His crook and His staff" (Psalm 23).
Worship the Lord, my precious daughter, pray for wisdom to discern HIS WILL and submit to HIS WILL in sweet surrender.
This reflection is one of my favourites.
He said "it is not our will that matters, it is the Lord's. This is the difference between prayer and worship. Prayer is the expression of my will; worship is the acceptance of God's will. The two are quite distinct. Just run through the Old Testament and see how very often, one of the great biblical characters, like Abraham, prays to God, expresses his own will, and then God says to him, "Offer your son, Isaac". And he prostrates himself. That is his worship"
Archbishop Sheen also gave the beautiful example of David's response to his son's death.
As we read in 2 Samuel, after the prophet Nathan told David that he (David) had killed Uriah, "The Lord struck the boy whom Uriah's wife had borne to David. And he was very ill. David prayed to God for the child, he fasted and went in and spent the night fasting, lying on the ground. The older men of the household tried to get him to rise from the ground, but he refused and would eat no food with them. On the seventh day the boy died, and David's servants were afraid to tell him 'While the boy was alive', they said, 'we spoke to him and he did not listen to us; how can we now tell him that the boy is dead? He may do something desperate'. David saw his servants whispering among themselves and guessed that the boy was dead. He asked, 'Is the boy dead?' And they answered, 'He is dead'. Then David rose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and put on fresh clothes; he entered the house of the Lord and prostrated himself there. Then he went home, asked for food to be brought, and when it was ready, he ate. The servants asked him,'What is this? While the boy lived you fasted and wept for him, but now that he is dead you rise up and eat? He answered, 'While the boy was still alive I fasted and wept, thinking, 'It may be that the Lord would be gracious to me, and the boy may live'. But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back? I shall go to him, and he will not come back to me'.
David worshipped the Lord. The difference between praying and worshipping is the difference between my will and God's will.
What struck me when I first read this reflection was the realisation that my prayer is the expression of MY WILL. It has made me accepted with grace the things that came my way that were different from what I prayed for. I know God loves me, I am precious in His eyes, He has written my name in the palm of His hands (Isaiah 49:16), He knows what is good to give to me (Mathew 7:7-8) and if I should walk in the valley of darkness, no evil shall I fear, for He is there with His crook and His staff" (Psalm 23).
Worship the Lord, my precious daughter, pray for wisdom to discern HIS WILL and submit to HIS WILL in sweet surrender.
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