You are LOVED, and that my friends is a reason to “REJOICE”

This weekend we celebrate Laetare Sunday which means rejoice.  It celebrates the halfway mark through our Lenten journey. In an otherwise somber time, today we take time to rejoice and remember the great gift that awaits us.  One thing I love about the Gospels is the parables or teaching stories.  I love how they point to truths that I sometimes forget.

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Today I have a story about a father, daughter, and a camping trip.

The father told the story. "I took my daughter to a camp where dads and daughters were taken deep into the woods for an exercise in trust. The daughters were blindfolded while the dads were given these instructions, you're going to guide your daughter blindfolded through the woods, you're going to give your daughter 3 instructions and you are to repeat them as many times as you can before the walk begins and the instructions were  

1. I will never leave you  

2. you can ask me anything  

3. you should only listen to the sound of my voice  

 I made her repeat those back to me over and over. At first it was easy to guide her because I could have a hand on her shoulder and we could walk and talk with each other."

"Then with a silent signal from a camp counselor I was told I had to remove my hand then shortly after another signal that I could no longer speak unless she remembered the instructions that she could ask me anything."

"It didn’t take long to get off track. The counselor said, "well how about you follow me and I'll get you caught up with the group"? So the counselor walks her into a ditch and without realizing it he had guided her in front of a tree and he left. At this point I was silent and my hand was no longer on her shoulder."

"It felt like a lifetime before she remembered the 3 statements. I'm standing there waiting and all of a sudden I hear four words “dad, are you there?”  and I stood there in the woods just crying and I'm like yeah I'm here, that moment changed everything for me and I understood the purpose of this experience."

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In a time of prayer after hearing this story, I placed myself in the daughters place, I thought about those three instructions and how many times I've failed to recall them in my relationship with God:  that he will never leave me, I can ask him anything, and I should only listen only for the sound of his voice.   

We do not see as God sees. If you remember anything remember that.   

All of the readings today speak about how God sees, how God heals, about God’s love for us.  God gives us the choice to love or not, the choice to walk either in light or darkness.  Light which illuminates, nourishes, heals, and produces every kind of goodness, righteousness.  Or darkness which conceals, causes confusion, uncertainty, doubt, isolation, and fear. 

As Christians we are always battling with two perspectives- the worldly and the Godly.  Oddly enough, it seems the disciples were too.  The reason Jesus healed the blind man might not be the same as our reason.  Why did Jesus perform so many miracles?  The people knew about Jesus before He came to them.  There were many who proclaimed Jesus before He demonstrated His power. 

These miracles that Jesus performed were not to make believers out of unbelievers.  They were performed because of the faith of the believers in order to show the great power and love God has for them.  Not to make them believe but because of their belief. 

Have any of you ever had a problem that you could not fix, solve, there was no alternative but to turn to God?  Did you think about that situation as a suffering as punishment?  Like the disciples and Jews? Or did you remember that God was present, and that if you speak He will respond?  Most of us probably feel like its more of a punishment or chastisement for the sins we have committed. With the blind man, is the greater gift his eyesight, or his faith and his eternal destiny? 

We are all walking wounded… we are all in one way or another blind,  yet do we believe that God can and will bring healing or a solution?  Not a hopeful wishing that things will go well but a steadfast belief that God can and will carry us through.  We are very similar to the daughter in the story who has forgotten the three things she was told. 

If you are struggling, is it because have you forgotten the sound of your Father’s voice? Are you struggling to remember what it sounds like? Does it seem like it is on mute?  Are you confused by many voices?  Do you know where to go to hear His voice? 

Is it because you feel deserted by God?  Do you believe His words that He will never leave you? Never forsake you? Never abandon you? 

Where can you find Him?  Perhaps the same place you will hear His voice?  Some times God might take a step back to see if you will take a step forward.  How can we expect God to give with no effort from us?  He desires a relationship, not just an acknowledgement that He exists.  He wants us to give our best so He can give us His. 

One way relationships where one side takes and takes and takes never lasts.  Real relationships understand it goes both ways and the most successful ones find that in giving, they receive even more. 

Is it because you don’t believe that you can ask God for anything?  Do you think you aren’t important enough?  Do you think He is busy or that your problems aren’t as big as others. Do you think He won’t hear or answer?  Who are we  to question Him or place a limit His goodness?  Are we so afraid of being told no that we don’t even ask?  Is our faith strong enough to ask, strong enough to accept the answer? 

James 4:3 says:  You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 

We need to remember these three principles- when we cannot see, when we are afraid, when we don’t know what to do next. 

We will find our way through even the darkest times, greatest struggles, hopelessness, loneliness and uncertainty when we remember that God will never leave us, we can ask Him for anything, and we need only to listen for His voice.  

You will find that the more you plug into the Sacraments, the more time you spend studying the Catholic faith, the more time you spend in prayer... REAL PRAYER, the more you show your love in sacrifice to others, you will find that God is not distant but very near.  

Use your time this week to write these down and remember three things so you won’t forget them. 

1. You are loved beyond what you think is possible,

2. God wants to do the impossible in you and through you because of your faith so quit waiting for the impossible to increase your faith but have the faith that believes so you will see God do the impossible,

3. He will always lead us out of darkness into light.  

You are LOVED and that my friends is a reason to “REJOICE” 

Deacon Joe Zagar, St. Robert Bellermine