Sometimes we are made to wait because we are not yet adequately prepared to receive what God wants to give us. In his remarkable letter to Proba, Saint Augustine argued that the purpose of unanswered prayer is to force expansion of the heart. When we dont get what we want, we begin to want it more and more, with ever greater insistency, until our souls are on fire with the desire for it. Sometimes it is only a sufficiently expanded and inflamed heart that can take in what God intends to give. What would happen to us if we received, immediately and on our own terms, everything we wanted? We might be satisfied in a superficial way, but we wouldnt begin to appreciate the preciousness of the gifts. After all, the Israelites had to wait thousands of years before they were ready to receive Gods greatest gift. ~Fr. Robert Barron We all have longings and desires, but the only satisfaction is to be filled with Christ. Fr. Mauritius in his most recent podcast on the Rule of St. Benedict discusses longing.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 23:15:01 +0000