"Offer praise as your sacrifice to God"- Psalm 50:14
Have you ever persevered in something, even though you failed over and over again? Maybe for you, this struggle came in sports, work, school, a relationship with another person, or in your relationship with God.
I know for me, a time I persevered is in trying to lose weight. In high school I wrestled, and because of the nature of the sport, I was in great shape. Unfortunately, I did not stay in great shape after graduation and I put on some weight. No matter what I tried, I could not seem to drop any of the weight I gained! I felt a little crestfallen like Cain, in that, I had done what I thought was a very good job, and yet received no results. I did in fact lose weight in the end, but not until I persevered in eating healthily and working out even when I did not feel like it!
In our relationship with Jesus, we must not despair like Cain when things do not go our way, or challenge Jesus' authority like the Pharisees when we disagree with what God does and allows; instead, we need to persevere in our prayers and praises, even when we feel that God is not there or that nothing is happening as a result of our prayer. It is praising and praying when it hurts, when we feel numb, when we feel hurt, or when we feel stupid for trusting in the Lord that we can change the world!
Do I praise God and spend time with Him in prayer, especially when things are hard, having sure knowledge that He will take care of me in the end?
God, please help me to make a sacrifice of prayer and praise, even when I feel nothing, for I know that You love when I pray and praise!
Reflection by:
Austin Smith
Did you know...
Austin Smith is a seminarian in his first year at St. John Vianney Seminary in Miami. His home parish is Nativity in Brandon.
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