Difficult Times With God

I know that pretty much every Catholic has gone through a period in their life where they feel like God isn't there. That He doesn't care or hear you're prays. Or maybe you're simply too angry at Him to pray to Him. You feel alone and abandoned. Like the point you've sunk to can never be risen out of. Now when people hear someone talking like this their usually response is, "you can't be mad at God or feel alone because look at all the amazing things He's done! You should be thankful for what He's given you!" And everyone who had been at the receiving end of that speech knows it doesn't really help at all. Because we know everything He's done for us, which is the reason you feel so abandoned. So alone, and on top of that you're so angry at Him for what happened. That He didn't just stop it. As Catholics we know we can only get through really tough situations with God's help. But...you're way to angry and feel way too abandoned to pray affectively to Him. What on earth are you supposed to do then? Pray for the intercession of a Saint. Saints are pretty much people who were in the same position as you and made it through. They will be able to help you understand. To see clearly without the blindfold of you're anger. I'm going to share a story with y'all. When I was about ten I was going through some really hard times in my life. I felt alone and like it would never get better. I didn't know what to do. Then one day it started to change. I had finished reading a book and I was going to pick out another book to start reading when my mom came in the room and asked me if I had read any of the saint books we had. I had read a few but I thought why not read another. I randomly picked one out and it happened to be the book on St. Kateri Teckakwitha (my Confirmation Saint). I sat down and started to read...and when I finished the book I was amazed because what she was going through was pretty much what I was going through just for a different reason. The night after I finished the book I started praying for her intercession. That she would help me through. No joke within a week there was so much improvement in my life I could not express how relieved I felt. Then I found the prayer of St. Frances (which I wrote about in a different post) and prayed that throughout the day. Within a month I was a totally new person spiritually. That was what it took to firmly convince me that no matter what God will listen to yours prayers and help you through. It convinced me that He really does love. That He will NEVER leave me. And here I am five years later feeling the exact same way. I opened my heart to Him and He came rushing in and held fast. I don't have any doubts left and as soon as they start creeping in I think of that moment. And I get past it. St. Kateri became my role model. I still work hard to live my life in her footsteps and to live out the prayer of St. Frances. I feel like I'm home. That I truly belong. And guys, I didn't stand there and open my entire heart to God, I let it open a little bit and He filled my up with His love. Now I thank God that this happened when I was younger because I know that it gets harder when you get older but still. You are going to go through awful things in you're life...not to discourage you but it's true. And you will probably feel abandoned and unloved by God at one point in you're life but my point is that you can get through it. And if you do you will, without a doubt, be on a much stronger position in your faith than before. So really, pick a saint, if you have been Confirmed your Confirmation Saint is probably a good one to start with if not pick a Saint who's story touches you in some way. And pray. Just pray. Open you're self to them and their intercession, even of yours just opening up a little tiny sliver. Because God will take

that little sliver and run with it and NEVER let it go. NOW...how exactly does praying for the intercession of a Saint help fix you're relationship with God Himself? Well, when you're mad at God you usually are mad about something that happened and you can't seem to be able to pray without asking WHY. Why it happened. When you pray for the Saints intercession it will help slowly mend that feeling of not wanting to pray to Him. You will get used to praying for intercession (which is pretty much indirectly praying to God) and slowly but surly start praying again!!! For His Glory -Kateri