Ad Jesum per Mariam

What is God Telling Me During My Hardships?

What is God Telling Me During My Hardships? This week in the Gospel, Jesus tells us to prepare and to remain awake. We do not know the hour when the Son of Man will come. Today’s Gospel Jesus tells us to interpret the signs of the times. The Homily explains further. In the Homily we also hear of the destructive power of nature that impacted Africa. During this cyclone event many houses were destroyed. Many people had no place to sleep. The people of all faiths used the Church to sleep. On Sunday, they had Mass and after Mass, an older lady asked the following question. Why Does God Allow This To Happen? My house was destroyed. The house, left to her when her son died a few years prior was largely all she had. During Mass, when the priest was preaching, he said God is with us in both the joys and sorrows of life! She finally asks her question. Why did God allow this to happen to me? I am an old lady! Why did He allow this to happen to me? Almost all people ask a similar question in our lives. Why is God allowing me to suffer this much? Why does God allow me to have this disease? Or why am I not getting a job? At one time or another these are but a few questions we may have asked! Most of the times we have no good answers to these questions. Sometimes, people even accuse God! Maybe we are approaching this incorrectly! We know . . . or we should know . . . that God did not cause the events that is troubling you . . . and me! Maybe We Should Be Approaching This Differently! Maybe we should be approaching this differently! What is the message God is trying to convey to you . . . and me . . . during such hardships? What is God telling me in this situation? In today’s Gospel Jesus talks to the crowds. He teaches them . . . and us . . . a lesson. Listen to this Mediation Media. Listen to: What is God Telling Me During My Hardships? -------------------------------- Gospel Reading: Luke: 12: 54-59 First Reading: EPH 4: 1-6

Duration:: 11m
Broadcast on:: 30 Oct 2024
Audio Format:: other

The Lord be with you, a reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke. Jesus said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the West, you say immediately that it is going to rain, and so it does. And when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south, you say that it is going to be hot, and so it does. You hypocrite. You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. Why do you not know how to interpret the present time? Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way, otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge. And the judge hand you over to the constable. And the constable throw you into prison. I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny. The Gospel of the Lord. The whole of this week, Jesus has been telling us to be ready, to be awake, to prepare, because we do not know the hour that the Son of Man is going to come. And today, Jesus tells us to interpret the signs of times. A couple of years ago, Malawi, the country where I come from, was hit by a cyclone, which was named "Cyclone Freddy". And the most way, the part that was hit was the southern region. This is the region where the parish, where I was saving, belonged, belongs up until now. And our parish was hardly hit, that half of it, houses were swept away, property, animals and all that. So people had to relocate, and they were put in camps. So when it had just happened, the chiefs of the villages called us and said, "Fathers, here is the problem that we have. People don't have anywhere to sleep. Is it possible that they use the churches that we have?" And we said, "Why not use?" So they came into the churches, they applied the churches, and that's where they were sleeping. We never gave you the thought until Saturday evening, the following day was Sunday. So he said, "Where are we going to celebrate Mass?" He said, "No, we'll see. Maybe we'll be outside, maybe we'll be inside. We'll see how it goes." So I left, and then that kept bothering me. Outside how it would be, because we don't have a table. Inside, of course, people have applied. They are there, sleeping with their belongings. Some of them are Catholics, some of them Muslims, some of them are different denominations. And then when I reached the church, I was amazed to find out that people brought out all their belongings, cleaned the church. They said, "Father, we cleaned this church because we want to pray." They said, "Wow. Some of us, yes, are not Catholics. They may not join us, but we informed them that we need God in this critical moment." I said, "Okay." So I started Mass. And then, after Mass, I also had few conversations with people, and there was one odd lady who came to me. Who said, "My son?" I said, "Yes. I have a question for you." "I'm all ears. What is it?" She said, "My son, as you know, I'm odd." And one thing that I heard there was my house. I had few belongings, but it was this house. And this house was left to me by my son, who died a few years ago. And this cyclone has swept the house away. Oh, that was in the house away. And here I am. When you were preaching, you said, "God is with us in both joys and sorrows. Why did God allow this to happen to me?" An odd lady. "Why did He allow this to happen to me?" I looked at her, and I started speaking. My dear brothers and sisters, there are moments that we ask this very same question in our lives. Why is God allowing me to suffer this much? Why this disease? Why are my children traveling me? Why am I not getting a job? Why this? Why that? Why that? And most of the times, we don't have answers to this crucial question. Most of the times, we do not have answers to this important question. Maybe instead of asking why, which sometimes comes as an accusation to God, why are you allowing this to happen to me? You say you are all laughing, you are with me. Why are you allowing this? Maybe it's best to ask. What is the message that God is conveying to me in this situation? What is God telling me in this situation? What is the word of God in this situation? In our gospel today, we hear Jesus, who is talking to the crowds that have come to listen to him, and he says, you are good at interpreting. When you see that there are crowds in the sky, it is going to rain, and indeed it does rain. And when you see the wind moving from one direction to the other, you say, no, from the look of things, it is going to be hot, and it does so. In our case here, we may say, you look at how the weather is in the morning, say, from the look of things here, we can be outside, it is going to be cool. And sometimes you look at how the wind is blowing from the look of things here, it is going to be too windy, and we may have some showers. So let's be inside. And Jesus says, you hypocrites, you are good at interpreting the appearance of the earth, yet you fail to read the signs of times. You fail to interpret the appearance of heaven, and what is this appearance of heaven? We are good at reading the appearance of earth, but we fail to decipher, to understand the weight that comes to us, even in difficult moments. The crowds are failing to see that before them is the Son of God, that before them is Jesus. Jesus who has walked miracles, they have seen him doing that, but some of them still can't believe that he is the Son of God. They are failing to interpret the appearance of heaven, who comes in a form of a person. My dear brothers and sisters, even for us, when we look back at our lives, we see how God has blessed us, how God has carried us on his shoulders to reach where we are. But there are moments when we encounter difficulties, we doubt his presence in our life. We want and ask, Lord, are you indeed there? Why are you allowing me to go through this? I said, maybe the most important question to ask is, what is God communicating to me in this situation? May God help us to recognize him in our daily lives. Amen. [BLANK_AUDIO]