When God is all you have

  • Thread starter Thread starter Duke12VonFalkenburg
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Duke12VonFalkenburg

Guest
I was really hesitant to write this… But, I felt I should.

Unlike the other religions of the world only Christianity claims that you can have a relationship with the creator of the universe. This creator is relatable because he knows suffering. He was here on this earth. He knows heartbreak, pain, hunger, thirst, and sorrow. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Peter 5:7 Someone asked me once what was my relationship with God like? At the time I didn’t have much to say because either I felt I didn’t need God or that I imagined that God was really only this powerful omnipotent being beyond space and time why would he waste a thought for someone as insignificant as me? I described my relationship with God as someone I used to be friends with but I moved far away and we stopped talking because I was either too lazy or too indifferent. When I suffered I was too proud to ask him for help. In fact I stupidly begged him to smite me. When I think of those days… shameful. More years go by and suddenly I found myself in a strange place surrounded by people I could not talk to with strange customs and a strange language. Thousands of miles and many time zones away from any friends and family. It was a that point when I truly realized I needed God and I began to change everything.

What is your relationship with God like? Today I would describe it as we are long lost best friends who are catching up and getting to know each other again because so many years have gone by and I have changed but I call every day because he is all I have now. If I go a day without praying or writing prayers into my prayer journal. I would feel feel as if my soul is starving to death.

"And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” Luke 4:4
 
Growing up, I saw God as a Judge Who would punish me if I didn’t do everything perfectly. My least favorite Sunday of the year was Meatfare Sunday aka Sunday of the Last Judgement (Matt. 25: 31-46). My favorite Sunday of the year was one week before - the Sunday of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).

To paraphrase Churchill, it took a lot of prayer, blood, sweat and tears to help me to see God as my Father. Or as a SSPX priest told me years ago, we relate to God on different levels - slave, friend, spouse. He told me that God looked at me as His spouse. (For the record, I’m not a nun or Sister.)

There are times when I get scrupulous and also times when I’m lax. IIRC, it was St. Bernard who said God has (so to speak) two feet, one of justice and the other of mercy, and we must embrace both. (If anyone can find that quote I’d really appreciate it.)
 
Last edited:
Dear Duke,

I thank God with you for the grace He has given you – calling you back to Him!
May He complete the good work He has begun in you. Talking to Him and getting to know Him is important – St. Teresa of Avila compared prayer to talking with a Friend Whom we know loves us.

Prayerfully, may I suggest just 2 other graces you may have also received and if not, hopefully you are praying to receive them: 1) a true and tender devotion to Mary our Mother – through whom all graces flow, and 2) to Listen as Mary did to all Jesus said and did in order to live in Him.

You ended your post with a verse from Luke 4:4, but Matthew’s Gospel 4: 3-4 in recording the same temptation scene gives a fuller context to Jesus’ words:
The tempter approached and said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” He said in reply, “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’…” (Mt 4: 3-4)
Click to expand...
Matthew records the words which Jesus is quoting from the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy in which we hear Moses warning the people:
He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your ancestors, so you might know that it is not by bread alone that people live, but by all that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:3)
Click to expand...
Mary Listened to all Jesus said and did pondering all in her heart, and so she lived the Truth she heard. Mary is both our Mother and Model for the Church, given to us all by Jesus from His Cross in His words: “Behold your Mother.”

Perhaps you have already begun to appreciate Mary more in your return to God, and if not, I pray you will continue to pray, asking, seeking and knocking on the door (cf Mt. 7:7-11) and the Lord will open the door for you.

If we do not listen to Jesus, as Mary did, we run the risk of listening only to our own thoughts. I share this sincerely for I realized after many years of prayer that I was actually talking to myself far more than talking with God! It was a grace, I continue to be grateful for and seek to listen to Him more each day by His grace which comes through Mary.

To live in China today must be a great challenge but I read some good news that China is now allowing children to hear the Mass live-streamed by priests. God is Faithful, He gives good gifts to His children!

You are quite right in in encouraging all of us to seek the Lord while He may be found. We cannot live by Bread alone but only by the Life-giving Bread come down from heaven. May we listen daily and learn from Him as Mary and all the saints have done. Jesus promised:

“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn 8:31-32)

Thanks for writing your post today. Saturday has been “Mary’s Day” for centuries in the Catholic Church – although our Mother prays for us every day. 🙂
 
Last edited:
God is there for us even when we are not fully present to Him … He is a relentless God who is always waiting for us to come to Him.
 
My family and a couple of non-related people I loved very much are all dead. God is pretty much all I have left. I rely on him a lot. I think of Jesus as my brother and my friend, and Mary and Joseph as my mom and dad.
 
I see God as my Father. And what a Father to have! He loves more than any one else is capable of. And his love is not cold and distant but close like a mother’s.

I like gazing at the Divine Mercy image and remembering that that gaze back at me is more than any a mere human would be capable of.
 
Last edited:
Margaret_Ann said:
(If anyone can find that quote I’d really appreciate it.)
Click to expand...
“God has two feet , one of justice and the other of mercy. We must embrace both, lest justice separated from mercy should cause us to despair, or mercy without justice should excite in us presumption.”
Margaret_Ann said:
Growing up, I saw God as a Judge Who would punish me if I didn’t do everything perfectly.
Click to expand...
I know what you mean that was why for years I stayed away from the OT.
MariaChristi said:
St. Teresa of Avila compared prayer to talking with a Friend Whom we know loves us.

Prayerfully, may I suggest just 2 other graces you may have also received and if not, hopefully you are praying to receive them: 1) a true and tender devotion to Mary our Mother – through whom all graces flow, and 2) to Listen as Mary did to all Jesus said and did in order to live in Him.
Click to expand...
Thank you!
Well, I do try to think of Mary often and I will find myself saying or wanting to say a Hail Mary at random times during the day. In the past I didn’t think about Mary much because my Mom’s name is Mary. Could you give you me an example of what you mean exactly by 1 and 2? What can a person do? I am assuming you mean the Rosary? I don’t have a Rosary.
Tis_Bearself said:
My family and a couple of non-related people I loved very much are all dead. God is pretty much all I have left. I rely on him a lot. I think of Jesus as my brother and my friend, and Mary and Joseph as my mom and dad.
Click to expand...
I’m sorry to hear that… Despite all of that though You still have people. All of your brothers and sisters in spirit. Even if you don’t know them we are all here for each other. Our family is much much bigger than just our biological family.
StudentMI said:
I like gazing at the Divine Mercy image and remembering that that gaze back at me is more than any a mere human would be capable of.
Click to expand...
Yes 🙂
 
Duke12VonFalkenburg said:
40.png
MariaChristi:
  1. a true and tender devotion to Mary our Mother – through whom all graces flow, and 2) to Listen as Mary did to all Jesus said and did in order to live in Him.
Click to expand...
Thank you!
Well, I do try to think of Mary often and I will find myself saying or wanting to say a Hail Mary at random times during the day. In the past I didn’t think about Mary much because my Mom’s name is Mary. Could you give you me an example of what you mean exactly by 1 and 2?
Click to expand...
IIRC, @MariaChristi had a series of threads on CAF quoting and explaining True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort which is the answer to 1) and 2):


St. Louis uses Scripture, quotes from the Saints, Fathers and Doctors of the Church to explain what is true devotion to Mary. As St. Louis says, the end of devotion to Mary is to make us more like Christ. Obviously, Jesus is True God yet He is also true man. He obeyed His own creatures - His Ever-Virgin Mother Mary and St. Joseph. His public ministry started at the wedding of Cana, where He performed His first miracle at the request of His Mother. And the last words Our Lady says in Scripture: “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2) is essentially the spiritual life in a nutshell.

I don’t want to overwhelm you but hope this helps.
 
Dear Duke,

Thanks for your repliy and your request for me to give an example of :1) a true and tender devotion to Mary, our Mother – through whom all graces flow, and 2) to Listen as Mary did to all Jesus said and did. My explanation is long so I’m replying in two posts: this is Part 1 and it is followed by part 2.

Margaret_Ann gave one good example of how by God’s Grace a person can be led to a true and tender devotion to Mary and that is as she posted: to read St. Louis de Montfort’s book “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”. It is a remarkable little book and I continue to learn from it, but merely “reading” a book is not enough — we need to have the desire and the will to persevere in our search to know, love and serve God. We need to pray for His Grace. Without Him we can do nothing. Some read this book and turn away from the wisdom God gave His saints. Others like Pope St. John Paul II and Mother St. Teresa of Calcutta embraced “True Devotion” and consecrated themselves totally to Jesus through Mary.

Thinking of Mary is a grace God is giving you, and I thank Him for that grace . He is calling you and all of us to remember His Words from the Cross: “Behold your Mother”. If you find yourself saying or wanting to say a Hail Mary at times during the day – please don’t ignore that grace - please do pray the Hail Mary with attention and devotion. Prayer is more than words.

Not sure I understand why you didn’t think of Mary in the past. Can you explain what connection your Mother’s name had with your not thinking of Mary? Was it because you felt you already had a Mother? Mary is our “Spiritual Mother” given to us by Jesus to help us grow closer to Him, even more than our “natural mothers” can help.

My explanation of 2) went over the “word limit” so I’ll put that into another reply following this one – and call it part 2
 
Last edited:
Dear Duke,

This is Part 2 of my reply above
  1. To Listen as Mary did to all Jesus said and did in order to live in Him. – is so important, Duke. When we read both the Old and New Testaments we are called to “listen to God speak to us”. Jesus tells us in Mt 5:17 at the very beginning of His Sermon on the Mount:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Click to expand...
Mary our Mother listened to the Old Testament Scriptures as did all the People of God who waited for Him. When the Angel Gabriel came to Mary , she had already been made ready to receive Him by the privilege of her Immaculate Conception, her answer was: "“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” " (Luke 1:38) and by the power of the Holy Spirit she conceived Jesus the Word made flesh in her womb.

We are made ready to receive Jesus by the Grace of our Baptism - we are taken out of Adam and re-born in Christ. We are truly born again, and God indwells us giving us a share in His Life. Like Mary, we need to cooperate with His Grace by listening to Him and obeying His Word, Jesus. John the Beloved Disciple stood with Mary at the foot of the Cross and heard Jesus with her. John wrote in his Gospel:
When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple there whom He loved, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
(Jn 19: 26-27)
Click to expand...
John obeyed. He wrote his Gospel in Greek and the Greek word does not include “home” but only “his own”. St. John Paul II interpreted the passage as: John took her into his own life, into his very being. That is what John and the saints have done and that is what we are called to do. When we take Mary into our own lives we begin to be more like Jesus whom she followed perfectly. She listend to Him Who is Truth and lived the Truth she heard. Like Mary, we begin to have the Life of Christ growing in us when we listen and say “Be it done to me”.

I hope this helps a bit. Please know you are in my prayers, and I ask also your prayers for me and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy through Mary.
 
It takes time to come to know Him, and I believe we all share the “distorted image” of God that the catechism teaches man conceived of at the Fall. Our default concept of God is of one who is angry, and aloof and distant in His power and superiority, sort of the “god” we might play when we self-righteously abuse power over others.

Anyway Jesus came, when the time was ripe in human history, as in our own, individual histories, to reveal the true face of God, so that we may know Him, and so come to love Him.

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top