“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites”
Mark 7:6
At what point did we start to think that religion was about being perfect? I have moments blocked off throughout my day for prayer. Often I find myself not wanting to pray when that moment arrives. Whatever was happening prior in the day put me in a state where emotions are flowing and thoughts are going in a hundred directions. How am I supposed to stop and be peaceful in prayer when I am in such a state? It is then I realize that I can only turn to God as I am. That this emotional, wound-up, racing around person is the exact person that needs to pray.
Prayer doesn’t need to be perfect. What my prayer time is supposed to look like and what it actually looks like are very different. I take a lot of comfort in the fact that Jesus has emotions. Which means there is a way to live my emotions without sin. How I feel is not an obstacle to holiness! There are many times when we get to see the passionate side of Jesus. Many people thought Jesus was a prophet because he acted and preached like a prophet. We see this side when someone perverts the faith, abuses the poor, and/or acts without mercy. All the while, Jesus corrects us and is never separated from His Heavenly Father.
Can I pray as I am at this moment?
Where is God at the moments when it is hardest for me to pray?
Today’s Reflection is by:
Fr. Justin Paskert
Did you know...
Fr. Justin Paskert is the Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of the Rosary in Land O'Lakes.
