God Answers Before We Ask Him

[Sirach2]

I wanted to go to confession for advent, and since my pastor was on vacation, we had a visiting priest to serve us – however, he did not hold confessions the previous week and I knew he probably wouldn’t do so again the following weekend. So I went to a church about 15 miles away, since they had 11 a.m. confessions listed in their bulletin on line.

As I waited for Father to arrive, another gentleman came in and asked me where Father was, since he was late. We called the rectory, but there was just a voice recording. The man said there was another church nearby that had confessions at 11:30, so I asked if I could follow him. I never knew this church was there. This man was about 50 miles from his home, and said he knew the mass and confession times for most parishes, since he regularly worked in the vicinity. I took a bulletin to look at their parish activity.

What enlightenment! They have a monthly First Saturday Mass at 9:00 am!! I had just gone to Mass for First Friday in December at another nearby parish in my diocese, since my pastor was on vacation, and lamented in my heart that no priest anywhere in my local diocese has a First Saturday liturgy. I did not PRAY about it, I just sighed with a wishful desire, never dreaming that God was preparing the answer the very next day through this man who just ‘happened’ to drop by from miles away.

I realized once again that God knows our needs before we even ask Him.
Had my pastor not been away…
had the visiting priest not held confessions…
had this second parish priest not entered the church for confessions on Saturday morning…
had this visitor, miles from home, who just happened to know of the confession time nearby in a church where First Saturdays are held NOT come to THIS church for his confession…
none of this would have transpired!
What an amazing orchestration God provided to provide me with this information hidden in the desires of my heart!

I also realized how pleasing this must be to Mary that we fulfill her request to keep First Saturdays in honor of her. All in all, this was a special day, and I thought some might be encouraged by my sharing it. We will have First Saturday next week, so I thought it would be timely to share this. I did attend their First Saturday in January and it was a special liturgy to me. This Church is in an adjoining diocese, not my own, and coincidentally, its name is “Mary, Mother of God”!

 

[1Lord1Faith]

Thank you for sharing. That was uplifting!

 

[Blessedwithfive]

I wanted to go to confession for advent, and since my pastor was on vacation, we had a visiting priest to serve us – however, he did not hold confessions the previous week and I knew he probably wouldn’t do so again the following weekend. So I went to a church about 15 miles away, since they had 11 a.m. confessions listed in their bulletin on line.

As I waited for Father to arrive, another gentleman came in and asked me where Father was, since he was late. We called the rectory, but there was just a voice recording. The man said there was another church nearby that had confessions at 11:30, so I asked if I could follow him. I never knew this church was there. This man was about 50 miles from his home, and said he knew the mass and confession times for most parishes, since he regularly worked in the vicinity. I took a bulletin to look at their parish activity.

What enlightenment! They have a monthly First Saturday Mass at 9:00 am!! I had just gone to Mass for First Friday in December at another nearby parish in my diocese, since my pastor was on vacation, and lamented in my heart that no priest anywhere in my local diocese has a First Saturday liturgy. I did not PRAY about it, I just sighed with a wishful desire, never dreaming that God was preparing the answer the very next day through this man who just ‘happened’ to drop by from miles away.

I realized once again that God knows our needs before we even ask Him.
Had my pastor not been away…
had the visiting priest not held confessions…
had this second parish priest not entered the church for confessions on Saturday morning…
had this visitor, miles from home, who just happened to know of the confession time nearby in a church where First Saturdays are held NOT come to THIS church for his confession…
none of this would have transpired!
What an amazing orchestration God provided to provide me with this information hidden in the desires of my heart!

I also realized how pleasing this must be to Mary that we fulfill her request to keep First Saturdays in honor of her. All in all, this was a special day, and I thought some might be encouraged by my sharing it. We will have First Saturday next week, so I thought it would be timely to share this. I did attend their First Saturday in January and it was a special liturgy to me. This Church is in an adjoining diocese, not my own, and coincidentally, its name is “Mary, Mother of God”!

Sounds like a perfect example of Providence. The unseen hand of God guiding you along.

 

[Methos]

I realized once again that God knows our needs before we even ask Him.
Had my pastor not been away…

had the visiting priest not held confessions…

Maybe that person who came after you left and decided that one day out of all others to confess their sins would have someone there. Perhaps he’ll give it another go in say… 20 years if he didn’t get hit by a car on the way home or decides it didn’t matter any way.

What an amazing orchestration God provided to provide me with this information hidden in the desires of my heart!

Or it could all be just a coincidence. Perhaps I’m just a pawn after all.

 

[Lost4words]

Lovely story

 

[Sirach2]

Maybe that person who came after you left and decided that one day out of all others to confess their sins would have someone there. Perhaps he’ll give it another go in say… 20 years if he didn’t get hit by a car on the way home or decides it didn’t matter any way.

Not sure I understand what you mean by this, since nobody else was able to go to confession either. Father never entered the confessional.

Or it could all be just a coincidence. Perhaps I’m just a pawn after all.

Perhaps. That is a typical response from many who dismissed Jesus’ miracles. “Maybe it was just coincidence.” I believe that was the very reason He could do no miracles in His home town – lack of faith.

Just a thought that is recorded in St. Faustina’s Diary.
1489 A soul that lives in My love alone, I reign as in heaven. I watch over it day and night. In it I find My happiness. My ear is attentive to each request of its heart.
OFTEN I ANTICIPATE ITS REQUESTS.

It is not too difficult for me to believe that I am loved and favored from time to time. Though I do not always put my desires into formal prayer, He has been gracious to me. I think if you had eyes to see, you might recognize His love for you in just the same way.

 

[Methos]

Not sure I understand what you mean by this, since nobody else was able to go to confession either. Father never entered the confessional.

You said He had the priest not be there in order to have the events that benefited you happened. What if there was someone who had decided to repent and go to confession and arrive shortly after you had left and found no one there as well? So, he doesn’t go to confession. Maybe he decides to do it later, get hit by a car on the way home or decides in the end it doesn’t matter at all and never repents. All because of the priest wasn’t there. Theoretical? Yes, but it could have happened.

About the visiting priest…

however, he did not hold confessions the previous week and I knew he probably wouldn’t do so again the following weekend.

If he had, I think that would have been a real miracle as the people in your church would had had an opportunity to come back into grace.

Just a thought that is recorded in St. Faustina’s Diary.
1489 A soul that lives in My love alone, I reign as in heaven. I watch over it day and night. In it I find My happiness. My ear is attentive to each request of its heart.
OFTEN I ANTICIPATE ITS REQUESTS

He’s omniscient, He should know. He know what the weather will be on this day in the year 2525.

It is not too difficult for me to believe that I am loved and favored from time to time. Though I do not always put my desires into formal prayer, He has been gracious to me. I think if you had eyes to see, you might recognize His love for you in just the same way.

He loves everyone, but favors others more. He knows what I want and the answer is still NO.

 

[Sirach2]

You said He had the priest not be there in order to have the events that benefited you happened. What if there was someone who had decided to repent and go to confession and arrive shortly after you had left and found no one there as well? So, he doesn’t go to confession. Maybe he decides to do it later, get hit by a car on the way home or decides in the end it doesn’t matter at all and never repents. All because of the priest wasn’t there. Theoretical? Yes, but it could have happened.

My guess was that, even though the online bulletin for that church said there would be confessions, it is probable the parishioners at the Sunday Mass were told they would be cancelled that day, but the bulletin had already been published. Me and the 50-mile-traveler were the only ones there who had no access to that information.

About the visiting priest…

however, he did not hold confessions the previous week and I knew he probably wouldn’t do so again the following weekend.

If he had, I think that would have been a real miracle as the people in your church would had had an opportunity to come back into grace.

Before Father left for vacation and arranged for this priest to cover for him, he may **not **have told him about confessions, which are scheduled for 15 minutes only, a half hour before mass. The visiting priest would need to have arrived 45 minutes early, and he could have had time constraints.

I marvel that you seem angry over this, just in case someone in mortal sin would die on the way home. Doesn’t 15-minutes suggest that we have very few people who take advantage of this? I didn’t have mortal sin, but I just wanted to prepare for Advent and avoid the Christmas crunch for confessions.

 

[Sirach2]

A scripture came to mind, lest anyone think St. Faustina’s entry into her Diary is doubtful.

Be not therefore like to them, for your Father knows what is needful for you, before you ask him.
Matthew 6:8