Teamwork

“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” -St. Augustine I love this quote. And it's so true. I went to a mission that our parish was holding a few weeks ago, and one of the nights the topic was on prayer, and it was a really great talk. What did he talk about? Openness. I know that it can feel kind of odd, praying so hard for yourself while not praying for others. Feels a little selfish sometimes. But throw those feelings out the window. Seriously. You have to remember that your own spiritual life is first and foremost. You can't help many people grow closer to God if you are distant from Him yourself. And pray hard. God wants YOU. He doesn't want to hear about the sugar coated version of you. He wants you. Messy, broken, lost you. He made you like you are and He wants it all back. He wants you to pour out all of your sorrows, doubts, troubles, and disappointments as well as your joys and thankfulness. Give it all to Him then wait in the silence. Because if you give Him everything He's going to talk back to you. So be silent and listen. Remember that you are probably not going to hear God's actual voice in your head. He's going to communicate in some other way. It might be through a sudden thought or idea that comes into your head, or maybe a sudden and powerful feeling. So give it all to Him and wait in the silence for Him to speak back to you. Now, "work as though everything depended on you." Guys the honest truth is that, while you need God for everything He is not going to just make things happen for you or teleport you to where you need to go. YOU have to do the work to get to Heaven. God always has your back and will always help you out, but you are the one that does the work and fights along the road to Heaven. If you think that you can sit back and relax and let God do the work you're wrong. YOU have to get up every week and go to mass, YOU have to pray, YOU have to do good works, and YOU have to live a good life. Yes you do it with God's help but you still have to do it. So work and fight like it all depends on you but pray like everything depends on God. And you and God will become and unstoppable force that cannot be overthrown by any means. But you won't get there unless you do the work. So open up. Let God lead your spirit, and let yourself lead your body after your spirit. Become that force that only you and God together as one can become. For His Glory -Kateri