“Trusting in the Lord and knowing that our Loving God, hearing our cry, will always rush towards us!”

(Based on Esth 14:1, 3-5, 12-14 and Mt 7:7-12 – Thursday of the 1st Week in Lent)

A story is told of a group of tourists who were visiting a large sheep farm.

The guide of the tourists was explaining how the little lambs are taken care by the mother sheep.

In order to demonstrate this, he took one little lamb from the farm…
… and placed it in a large enclosure with thousands of sheep.

The noise of the bleating sheep was deafening.

The little lamb, who seemed lost in the midst of that crowd…
… after a moment of silence, began crying loudly.

As it bleated, the mother lamb, who was at the end of the enclosure, heard the cry…
… and rushed towards her little lamb.

As the tourists were wonder-struck at this sight, the guide – who was a Christian – made a statement:
“This is how it is with God also!
We should never imagine that we are beyond the reach of God!

He sees us as if we are the only child in the whole world!”

The Gospel of the day presents this assurance given by Jesus, of how every cry of prayer is heard and answered by the Lord, in His Holy Will…
… and His teaching on having a proper attitude and disposition in prayer.

The Lord makes a comparison in his teaching on prayer:

The “good” attitude that is displayed by human beings, even though they are imperfect and limited…
… and the “Good” approach that is always exhibited by our God, Who is Perfect and Generous!

Jesus tells: “Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake?” (Mt 7:9-10)

The Lord contrasts something that is good, with something that is quite hard to imagine or even dangerous…

Asking for bread… can a stone be given?
Asking for fish… can a snake be given?

Using this practical approach, the Lord drives home a very important point:

A human father – with all limitations, weaknesses and struggles – will always strive to give the best for his child
A human father – with all the shortcomings, hardships and labours – will always ensure to provide the finest for his child
… Then how much more is it not understood, that God, Who is all-good and caring, will DO THE BEST ALWAYS for all of us, His Beloved Children!

Therefore, we are asked to cultivate this very vital virtue: Trusting in the Lord!

When we trust in God…
… our prayers become meaningful!
… our struggles become salvific!
… our lives become joyful!

The beautiful prayer of Queen Esther is a wonderful inspiration for all of us, to totally trust in the Lord…
… especially in times of struggles, difficulties and problems of life:
“O my Lord, you only are our king; help me, who am alone and have no helper but You…

Save us by Your hand, and help me, who am alone and have no helper but You, O Lord” (Esth 5:3, 14)

In life, we will have moments when we feel lost out… and we keep crying to God in prayer.

But let us always know, that our Loving God, hearing our cry…
… will always rush towards us!

Let us grow in our trust and always keep in mind:
“We should never imagine that we are beyond the reach of God!

He sees us as if we are the only child in the whole world!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
TYPOLOGY – Unity of the Old and New Testaments
The Church, has illuminated the unity of the divine plan in the two Testaments through Typology…
… which discerns in God’s works of the Old Covenant prefiguration of what He accomplished in the fullness of time, in the Person of His Incarnate Son.

Christians therefore read the Old Testament in the light of Christ crucified and risen.
Such typological reading discloses the inexhaustible content of the Old Testament; but it must not make us forget that the Old Testament retains its own intrinsic value as Revelation reaffirmed by our Lord himself.
Besides, the New Testament has to be read in the light of the Old. Early Christian catechesis made constant use of the Old Testament.
As an old saying put it, the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.
Typology indicates the dynamic movement toward the fulfilment of the divine plan when “God [will] be everything to everyone.” (CCC # 128-130)

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