Before You Ask Him

February 12, 2008

Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

For just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down And do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, Giving seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:7-8

Piety

God, you call us to participate as faithful citizens in activities that promote life and the common good for all of your children. Help us be awake to the necessary moral distinctions in order to be cognizant to all serious threats to human life and dignity. Racism and other unjust discrimination, the use of the death penalty, resorting to unjust war, the use of torture, war crimes, the failure to respond to those who are suffering from hunger or a lack of health care, or an unjust immigration policy are all serious moral issues that challenge our consciences and require us to act. Help us to realize that these are not optional concerns which can be dismissed and to support one another as our community of faith defends human life and dignity wherever it is threatened. Through the challenge of Catholic teaching, build us into, not factions, but one family of faith fulfilling the mission of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/021208.shtml

Think of things that can not be stopped.

We can not step in front of a train and stop it. We can not stand in front of a fire and block its heat and light. Eventually, everything human do to try to stop natural forces goes for naught. Consider the levees of New Orleans when they met with the fearsome power of Hurricane Katrina and the mighty waters of the Mississippi River.

God’s word is spirit and light that can not be stopped. We can close our ears and harden our heart. However, we will never stop His word from “achieving the end.”

Our prayers are the same. Once they exist in our heart, in our soul and in our mind, nothing can keep them from God. Before we utter a sound, God knows what is in our hearts; he knows what we need before we ask him.

We do not need one e-mail, daily readings, or postings on the Internet. We do not need a first draft. We don’t need to edit our letter. We do not need “help.” We just think we need help.

Certainly Jesus and the Holy Spirit are there to help us. Mary is there to carry our word back to God. But all you need is love…God knows what we need before we even ask him for it.

Don’t take His help for granted. He likes to hear from us. Ask and you will receive. Knock and the door will be opened to you.

Action

Sometimes, prayers and thoughts that are in our heart must be expressed openly so that the world will know what we want to do. Today is one such day. While God knows what is in your heart, God can not cast a vote in your place today. You must do that for yourself. According to the document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” “In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.”

Elsewhere in this document, the Bishops explain why. “We are called to practice Christ’s commandment to ‘love one another’ (John 13:34). We are also called to promote the well-being of all, to share our blessings with those most in need, to defend marriage, and to protect the lives and dignity of all, especially the weak, the vulnerable, the voiceless. In his first encyclical letter, Deus Caritas Est¸ Pope Benedict XVI explained that “charity must animate the entire lives of the lay faithful and therefore also their political activity, lived as ‘social charity.’”

We are called to bring together our principles and our political choices, our values and our votes, to help build a better world. So today, do your Catholic duty. We can not remain on the sidelines in the fight for a better world. Vote.

While Your Daily Tripod originates from the Word of God as passed on to us by the Holy Spirit, the written content is developed for you by writers and editors who reside in Virginia and the District of Columbia (although submissions are welcome from elsewhere at any time).

February 12 is the date of state primaries for both the Republican and Democratic candidates in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. If your home state holds a primary some other time, please vote then. If you live outside the region holding “Chesapeake” primaries today, then brush up on the call to Faithful Citizenship by reading the document located here: http://www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/FCStatement.pdf