"God wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2: 14)
God desires not just the salvation of every human being. He wants every human being to enjoy the full knowledge of the truth.
The Catholic Church is "the pillar and foundation of truth." (1 Timothy 3: 15) The Church possesses in its entirety the whole body of truth necessary for our salvation and for living here and now the victorious life earned for us by Jesus Christ.
"So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart." (Matthew 18: 35)
Lord Jesus, grant us forgiving hearts. Teach us to forgive completely and immediately no matter the injury.
Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." (Romans 14: 8)
What does it mean to live and die for Christ? Jesus Christ becomes the raison d'être of every thought, word or deed. Is this possible? Humanly speaking no but with God all things are possible. St. Paul and other saints reached this level of spiritual development.
"Forgive your neighbors' injustice, then when you pray your own sins will be forgiven. Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sins." (Sirach 28 : 2 – 4)
Forgiveness of the other is one of the keys to answered prayers.
In life, expect to suffer injustice and offences. These could be at times grievous. They can come from family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and strangers. Plan ahead for unconditional forgiveness no matter the injury. Forgiveness of the neighbor is the divine instruction from the above scripture from Sirach. It is also the teaching of Jesus Christ. It is pure divine wisdom.
"Father in heaven, creator of all, look down upon your people in their moments of need, for you alone is the source of our peace. Bring us to the dignity which distinguishes the poor in spirit and show us how great is the call to serve, that we may share in the peace of Christ who offered his life in service of all……" (Liturgical Prayer)
The Church is our mother and teacher. Our prayer life can improve enormously by watching the Church pray and imitating her words. Children learn language by looking at their mother form words and sentences.
The above prayer reminds us that God is the creator of all. All means things visible to us and also those things that are invisible. Technology has revealed the solar system in a way that nobody could have imagined. The same technology gives us an incredible view of life at the bottom of the ocean. Yet all these are less than 1% of creation. How about dominions, principalities and powers created by God which may never be captured by technology? We are certainly proud to call God, Father and Creator of all.
The above prayer also encourages us to call upon God at the moments of need. Jesus taught us to call God, our Father with confidence. We should not hesitate to do so always.
"Give peace, Lord, to those who wait for you and your prophets will proclaim you as you deserve. Hear the prayers of your servant and your people Israel." (Sirach 36: 8)
All good things come from God. We wait on God for the fulfillment of all our desires.
What am I waiting for today? I am waiting for the answer to the question: What is the purpose of my life? I know for sure that in the fullness of time, God will answer me.
Prayer is a mysterious encounter with God; prayer is a reciprocal call; prayer is a covenant drama. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2567)
