When It's Difficult to Rejoice

AnnAliese Harry ponders how to rejoice and pray without ceasing in the most difficult times of our lives.

Life has a tendency to throw curveballs. The journey to sainthood is not for the faint of heart, and so many times we can get caught up in the stressors of today and have trouble seeing the rewards of tomorrow.

Times are difficult right now. We see the heartbreak, difficulty, and division any time we turn on the news. Some of us are in the throes of experiencing the heavy turmoil of the world around us. Some people are suffering from illnesses they never expected, while others are grieving losses of those gone too soon. More people suffer in silence for loved ones or for their own private intentions.

In his First Letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul encourages us,

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19)

Sometimes those words are difficult to hear.

What does rejoicing always look like?

How do we pray without ceasing, when sometimes our words run dry?

Where do we turn when we struggle with the will of God for us?

Rejoicing Always

Lately, with the difficulty my family is experiencing, I have spent a lot of time contemplating this particular reminder. Several priests I have been blessed to have shepherd our family have used the prayer and phrase, “God is good … all the time; All the time … God is good.” Not too long ago, as I absentmindedly went through the daily routine, a woman mentioned to me in passing, “God is good. …” I responded, and we completed the prayer together. In that moment, I knew God was asking me to slow down and remember that, while my woes seem difficult right now, God is always good and always faithful.

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Praying Without Ceasing

St. Martin de Porres is credited with saying, “Everything, even sweeping, scraping vegetables, weeding a garden and waiting on the sick could be a prayer if it were offered to God.” No words are necessary when God knows the depths of our heart. He sees the prayer in the loving attention and affection with which we undertake our daily activities. And, because God knows the deepest crevices of our hearts, He also understands when our words run dry, and all we can offer are tears, heavy sighs, and a thought turned toward Him. Turning our hearts and thoughts toward God is sometimes the only prayer we can muster, and He will take every moment we grant to Him, even when words fail us.

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Struggling with God’s Will

Finally, we get to the will that is not our own. Christ even implored our Father, “Let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Sometimes, the best prayer is found under the depiction of the Divine Mercy image; it becomes a prayer and a mantra: “Jesus, I trust in You.” Turning toward our Savior, fully human and fully divine, we find the comfort to unite our struggles with His.

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Turning our hearts and thoughts toward God is sometimes the only prayer we can muster. #catholicmom

As we enter October, know that God waits to hear from you.

How will you strengthen your reliance on Him this month?

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