Reflection on Prayer, Suffering and Joy!

St. Teresa of Jesus prayed:

“Let nothing trouble you/

Let nothing frighten you

Everything passes/

         God never changes

Patience/ Obtains all

Whoever has God/

         Wants for nothing

God alone is enough.”

Maybe this story can help us, The Starfish.

A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm.  When she came to a starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean.

People watched her with amusement.  She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this?

I am helping this Starfish.  Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish.  You can’t begin to make a difference!”

After reflecting for a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and said, “Well, I made a difference to that one!”  [Adapted from 'The Star Thrower' by Loren C. Eiseley]

We are called to help those in need that we meet, and we will make a difference to those we meet. 

On a much lighter note, listen to “A Story of Four Worms.”

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon.  For this demonstration, he watered his lawn in the evening, and then when nighttime approached, visited his back yard with flashlight in hand.  He carefully selected four worms, night crawlers to be exact, placed the Four Worms into Four Separate Jars: The FIRST WORM was put into a container of alcohol.  The SECOND WORM was put into a container of cigarette smoke.  The THIRD WORM was put into a container of chocolate.  The FOURTH WORM was put into a container of good clean soil.

What Happened to the Four Worms?  At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results: The FIRST WORM in the jar with alcohol - was DEAD.  The SECOND WORM in the jar with cigarette smoke - was DEAD.  The THIRD WORM in the jar with chocolate - was DEAD.  The FOURTH WORM in the jar of good clean soil - was ALIVE!

The Minister Asked the Congregation, what can you learn from this demonstration?  From the back of the church, came the response: "As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"  

For some people that might represent joy, but real JOY, eternal JOY is something different. True JOY is found in being a disciple of Jesus Christ with all you heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.

Spend a few minutes reflecting on Thomas Merton’s Prayer:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself, & the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.  But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.

And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.  I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.  And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.  Therefore, I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me, & you will never leave me to face my perils alone.” (Merton-Thoughts in Solitude, p. 81)

The only way to find JOY that is true and lasting is to put your faith and your life into the hands and the heart of Jesus Christ.

May God Be Praised!