Visitation Lenten Reflections

Ezekiel 37:21-28 John 11:45-56  In both the first reading and the Gospel today, the underlying theme I see is the struggle for power and the sides of that power that separate us. Through the prophet Ezekiel God is wanting to gather his people so they are not divided into two kingdoms. I would be remiss if I did not point out that obvious struggle that is still present in our society today. Republican, Democrat, right, left, gay, straight, black, white, rich, poor…it seems we are more divided than we have ever been.  I don’t know about you, but I crave peace in my own life. I do my best to listen to the other point of view and befriend those who have a different view than me. I don’t always succeed but I think God gives us grace for trying. Ultimately, he wants all people to share in his covenant of peace.  In the Gospel reading, the same struggle for power continues. The people in power were fearful of losing that power. They decided they were going to kill Jesus. In doin...

Jeremiah 20:10-13 John 10:31-42  In today’s Gospel, we are shown a very powerful message that what we do in representation of the Lord, or other faithful acts, is more impactful than speaking about it. Our parish exhibits this same message, that actions speak louder than words. At Visitation, not only do we encourage others to help in the community, we do more tangible actions like making care bags for the homeless and sponsoring Morning Glory Ministries. It is not enough to say that you are a philanthropist or a hardworking person. It is important to do the actions that truly embody those ideals.  To be honest, sometimes I wonder if this message even means anything because, “doesn’t just saying thank you do the same thing as paying a kind act forward?” As time has gone on I have been able to unlock a deeper meaning to this message. Sure, sometimes it is okay to just say “thank you,” but maybe the scenario calls for something more. This could be holding the door for the next p...

Genesis 17:3-9 John 8:51-59  In the first reading Abraham (formerly Abram) was made “father of a host of nations” for maintaining God’s covenant. In return God asked that Abraham’s descendants keep their covenant throughout all the ages. Now, as a ‘Type A’ person I struggle with this deeply, as I want to be 100% in control of my narrative, and think I know what is best for me. After years of struggling with grief and loss I hated to hear “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” I felt my life was out of control, but I eventually learned it was just out of MY control. I needed to surrender myself to God and uphold my covenant to him. Now this requires patience, and I can assure you that is a virtue I have yet to master. If we remain patient and faithful to our covenant with God, we too will continue to receive God’s unconditional blessings and he will deliver gifts beyond our wildest dreams…it may just be on a different timeline than we originally planned.  As Jesus promi...

Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95 John 8:31-42  This Gospel passage begins with Jesus promising those who already believed in him that if they “remain in my word… [they] will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” The believers and would-be disciples seem to take offense at the suggestion that they are not already “free” because they are descendants (sons) of Abraham. Jesus explains further, “everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” I think Jesus wants them to accept that we are all slaves of sin and no person, whatever your religion or background, is immune. Jesus is challenging those who already believe in him that “belief,” even belief that is handed down to them for generations, is not enough to set them free from sin.  I confess that until recently my life was mostly “semi-secular” in belief and practice. I believed in God, but never understood how sacrificing his Son Jesus was an act of love so that we may be forgiven for our sins. However, after my own son Matthew...

Numbers 21:4-9 John 8:21-30 The first reading from the Book of Numbers takes us to the Israelites, who amid a long and difficult journey through the desert with no end in sight, begin to complain and lose faith in Moses and God. “But with their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!’” Upon reflecting on this reading, I immediately think about my relationship with God during the “long and difficult journeys” in life. When my life is going well, it is generally easy to be faithful and practice gratitude for all God has given me. However, it is during the difficult times, when my patience is worn thin, that it is easy to lose faith and complain against God, just as the Israelites did in the desert. It is easy to question God and place blame on Him for these hardships.  It is during these difficult journeys that...

Daniel 13:41c-62 John 8:12-20 In today’s readings we witness God’s abundant mercy. In the first reading from the book of Daniel, a falsely accused woman turns to God for help to be spared from being condemned to death. In John’s Gospel, we hear the story of the Pharisees bringing an adulteress before Jesus to validate their right to stone her. In both stories, our Lord responds with mercy and love coming to their aid, saving the women from being put to death, despite their guilt or innocence. One of the lessons I take away is that just as the women rushed to God’s aid, I too should run to God, especially in times of trouble or need. There will be times in our lives when we identify with the  feelings the characters in these passages feel: fear, shame, guilt, humility. God has the ability to soothe hearts with His forgiveness and soften hearts with His wisdom. He responds with compassion and love. Our Lord is so gracious. I should also reflect on my actions. When have I chosen sin? ...

Isaiah 43:16-21 Philippians 3:8-14 John 8:1-11 Unfortunately, I am able to easily say that death is the most significant image that is present in my life at this time. My wife of 50+ years died approximately 2½ years ago. My wife was a seriously  committed Catholic and she was able to accept her death after an illness of less than 2 years. She said, “Jim, I am ready.” I think a lot about what “ready” means and what it meant to Kathy! Clearly, Kathy thought that she had accomplished a full life of being a mother to our children, being a loving and faithful wife to me, and being an active and meaningful friend to the people she met and the organizations she assisted and contributed to. She was at her best when assisting “others.” Probably the biggest contribution Kathy made to me and our children was that she has made it easy for us to face our own deaths because she was “at peace” with her imminent death; and yet she showed us a graceful way to handle the process and demonstrate tha...

Isaiah 7:10-14: 8:10 Hebrews 10:4-10 Luke 1:26-38 Asking God for a Sign So often we find ourselves deeper in prayer and reflection in a time of need. And so, often we find ourselves too busy to stop and do anything, let alone pray, thank God for his many blessings, listen to God talking to us, and yes, ask God for a sign when we need it. These readings and the messages they are telling us are a great reminder to find that closeness to God, and to make prayer, receiving Jesus in Communion and spending time listening and hearing what God is calling us to do – a priority in our lives. In the Annunciation of the Lord, Gabriel came to Mary and told her she was to carry the son of God. While this was a very clear sign, I feel we often miss the signs God is trying to convey to us. Maybe we are not wanting to hear what God is telling us, or we’re too busy to listen, or we don’t spend enough time in prayer and reflection to know when God is actually speaking to us? Lent is a wonderful time in o...

Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22 John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 Sometimes I fi nd myself thinking the same way as the people described in Wisdom. This faith that I profess is obnoxious! There are so many rules! It’s tough! It’s a hardship for me! The ways of the just, of Jesus, are too different from mine! At which point I’m faced with a decision: settle for my comfortable, well-planned, and easy life, or take strides toward Heaven. Why do our lives seem so contradictory to the ways of the Saints? I suppose it’s a simple yet difficult truth. The devil, or wicked, wants us to fix our eyes and hearts solely on this earth, this life. He wants us to put all stock in the here and now. So, we race after the pleasure, money, power, prestige like it’s going to give us everything we want. No wonder our lives can seem vastly different than that of Jesus. God never created us to continuously dwell on this earth, though. He intends for us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. How can we look forward to, or even make str...

Exodus 32:7-14 John 5:31-47 The year 2020 was a tumultuous year for our family. Over the course of my journey, I felt tremendous shame for my past words and actions. For months, I punished myself and felt unworthy of forgiveness- people’s or God’s. Through prayer and meditation, I discovered that my unwillingness to forgive myself was selfish. In a way, I was playing God. If God, the Creator of Heaven and earth, could deliver me from personal ruin and forgive me, then what was blocking me from forgiving myself? The answers were self-will and a lack of faith. Although I still struggle with grace at times, God’s love allows me to embrace progress instead of perfection. In Exodus 32:7-14, God demonstrates His own progress. The Israelites violate a commandment and anger God. God reacts instead of responding. He is passionate about “Moses’ people” and demands punishment. He wants the Israelites to pay for their sins. Moses, undeterred by God’s anger, reasons with God. Moses appeals to God’s...

Isaiah 49:8-15 John 5:17-30 The season of Lent can be difficult at times, don’t you think? We read scripture each week about a story where we know the ending, the pain and suffering to come of our Savior and the need to understand it in our own lives for our own salvation. Important stuff! However, I find today’s readings from Isaiah and John to be especially helpful in my own life. Each day for us brings new challenges. How can we expect to make this journey on our own? Isaiah reminds us of the words and promise of our Lord, “In a time of favor I answer you, on the day of salvation I help you.” Isaiah continues, “To those in darkness: Show yourselves!” I like the image of being the people of the light, doing all that we can with the blessings our Lord has provided. Each day is not just about what I can do, it is what I can do with and for God. Even Jesus says, “I cannot do anything on my own.” My desire this Lent is to continue to seek understanding, to embrace humility, and ask for G...

Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 John 5:1-16 Today’s Gospel is a story not only of healing but also a glimpse into Jesus establishing His authority. He was in Jerusalem for a Jewish feast when he performed a healing on the Sabbath and then instructed the healed paralytic to take up his mat and walk. Scripture reveals that Jesus’ actions were controversial for many of the Jews in the crowd. With confidence in his authority, Jesus demonstrated a new way of defining what is truly important according to God’s Law. I was struck by a couple of aspects in this reading. Firstly, in the Gospel of John it was Jesus who instigated the contact with the paralytic man. When Jesus saw him lying there he knew he had been ill for a long time. His question to the man was, “Do you want to be well?” Since the man didn’t know of Jesus, he didn’t answer that question. The man just told Him that he wanted help getting into the pool when the water stirred and then he would have a chance to be healed. He didn’t grasp what J...

2 Samuel 7:4-5a,12-14a,16 Romans 4:13,16-18,22 Matthew 1:16,18-21,24a Fr. Richard Saale presided at the funeral of my 88 year-old paternal grandfather, Gasperi. That was 45 years ago yet I remember well how Fr. Saale described him in his homily. It went something like this: “Men like Gasperi are the real heroes in this world. He was a respectful son and brother, a faithful husband and dutiful father. He kept the faith.” I was an adult but had never really thought about my grandfather as a person until I heard these words. I always felt closer to my grandma; she was more dynamic and fun. I was also named after her. Allow me to reminisce more on this Feast of St. Joseph since I share part of his name too.   From my earliest memories, St. Joseph was my favorite saint. I adopted him, or he, me, as my patron. I’ve thought about this a lot through the decades: what was it about Joseph, or the stories of him, that first drew me close? And what is it about St. Joseph that keeps me close? S...

1 Samuel 16:1b,6-7,10-13a Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-41 In today’s second reading we hear the words “you were once darkness, but now you are light in the lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.” In our hurried life day to day, minute to minute, many times it is easy to forget to live as children of light. We easily succumb to the rapid dealings of our earthly mode, the seemingly endless tasks we burden ourselves with. We forget about the “Light” God has given us at every step and every encounter we maneuver throughout each day. Today we should “try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.” We should try to give a smile to a stranger as we walk to our next destination. We can pleasantly return a greeting from all whom we interact with. If we slow our pace down, we can see the bright Light that God has bestowed upon us even if we feel our situation is challenging and sorrowful. We can ...

Hosea 6:1-6 Luke 18: 9-14 “Come, let us return to the LORD…” When I was fi rst asked to participate in the writing of this Lenten reflection book, my first inclination was to say “No”. What could I say that people would want to hear? Then I was given the scriptures, and of course they called to me. Because, isn’t that what this faith is about? God calling to us. I did not hear his calling for so long and then I heard, and I listened to, his words. I returned to the Lord; exactly what this scripture is telling us. You do not have to have offerings, or beg forgiveness, nor do you have to sacrifice. All you have to do is have a desire to know the Lord. I take away from these readings that God truly wants us to come as we are; to see ourselves as we are and not in comparison to others. God wants us to return to him so that he can heal us and be there for us. He wants us to recognize that perfection is NOT something that he is asking for; he is asking for us to allow him to be in our lives....

Hosea 14:2-10 Mark 12:28-34 In today’s Gospel, the scribes ask Jesus which are the most important of the commandments. Jesus’ response is what I believe our faith is all about. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and strength. From my childhood my faith has been an integral part of my life. I was baptized twice – first in my father’s Greek Orthodox faith and then my single mom’s Catholic faith by Msgr. Tighe at Visitation. I developed my faith through attending Visitation, St. Francis Xavier and high at De La Salle. We always attended Mass and my mom and grandparents were devoted to God and the church. When I was young and in a fit of anger, ran away from home, it was to St. Francis Xavier church that I ran and slept through the night on one of the pews. I have always loved and put my trust in God who has led me to the places I needed to go. One of these places has been the St. Vincent de Paul Society. With an extremely busy work life, it is my firs...

Jeremiah 7:23-28 Luke 11:14-23 I came from a very strict Catholic family. My grandmother Mary Rose, was devout and raised her seven boys as such. They attended and participated in daily mass, catechism every Wednesday, sat front pew every Sunday, and the youngest even became a priest. But because of this forced faithfulness and the tragic/unexpected loss of a college-aged brother, my dad felt he’d had enough structured religion. So, while I was baptized (by my uncle) and attended mass with my grandmother when we visited- religion was really left for me to explore on my own. The only conversation I even remember having with my dad about God was when I asked him “how“ to pray. He told me “to just have a conversation with Him like he’s your best friend”. My dad was a very kind man with a deep compassion for those in need. He was always giving what he didn’t have but it was never done (at least openly) in the name of Jesus. This left me with one of the biggest struggles in my life when he ...

Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9 Matthew 5:17-19 As we approached today’s scripture, my daughter and I kept an open mind and tried to focus on what stuck out as important. When we both shared our impressions we felt fortunate to go through the process together. As a parent, the readings and gospel are a reminder of my responsibility to be consistently vigilant in setting a positive example for our children. This isn’t always easy. There are plenty of moments when I become impatient, raise my voice or lose sight of the big picture. I reflect on the wonderful ways my children are growing into their own personalities and strengths. Like this passage, my kids are a constant reminder to me to live a prayerful life, act in kindness and follow the rule of God. As a kid, when I read the passage, it made me want to follow rules and be kind to everyone so that when it’s time for me to go to Heaven, I’ll be ready. I think if I’m a good human and set a good example, maybe other people will too. We should all ...

Daniel 3:25, 34-43 Matthew 18:21-35 When asked to write a reflection I couldn’t have imagined that God would bless me with the one passage that is so important and personal. Today’s gospel hits close to home. Beyond my devoted wife and my close friends no one really understands the importance of forgiveness in my life. In the Gospel Peter asks, “Lord, when my brother wrongs me, how often must I forgive him? Seven times?” “No,” Jesus replied, “not seven times; I say seventy times seven times.” I have been forgiven more than what some should be, but I don’t believe that I have forgiven myself or others at the same accord. In fact, I know I haven’t. When Jesus talks about forgiving others what he is really saying is to forgive yourself. One cannot truly forgive others without truly forgiving yourself. I was under the belief that if I confess my sins, pray to God, and accept that God will let me into the Kingdom of Heaven I would be healed. The answer to that is No. Simply confessing to a ...

2 Kings 5:1-15ab Luke 4:24-30 Today’s readings focus on the theme of listening, specifically how well we listen to others and ultimately how well we listen to the Word of God. In 2nd Kings, Naaman wants to be cured of his leprosy but does not initially listen to Elisha who tells him to wash seven times in the Jordan River. It took the prodding by Naaman’s servants to do what Elisha said to do. In the Gospel of Luke, the people in the synagogue in Jesus’ hometown would not listen to him, prompting Jesus to say “no prophet is accepted in his own native place.” Sometimes not listening is due to hearing only what we want to hear. Naaman thought Elisha could cure him by just moving his hand over the spot of his leprosy or that the rivers of Damascus were better than the Jordan. I look back on the many times in my life when I did not heed the good advice of others or when I did not take the time to pray about a decision or choice I was about to make and then suffered or caused others to suff...

Exodus 17:3-7 Romans 5:1-2, 5-8 John 4:5-42 “…and we boast in hope of the glory of God. And hope does not disappoint,” Occasionally the world and its events can get me down. There is so much misery and turmoil in the world and in our country. It amazes me sometimes that we can just go on about our days. But as today’s reading from Romans explains, we can feel peace with God and have hope because of his love. As Christians we are stronger to endure difficulties. And in turn, our struggles and living through them give us hope. When one of our daughters was going through a very serious health issue, we prayed intensely for God’s help in making her well again. As happens so often with prayer, it can take a while for us to get answers. But our faith kept us asking and believing that God was hearing us. I give God all the credit for our daughter’s complete recovery, even knowing prayers are not always answered the way we want.  Our faith gives us so many reasons to be hopeful. We believe...

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 “My son you are here with me always…” Today’s Gospel from Luke about the prodigal son teaches us about God’s unlimited forgiveness, mercy and love. Growing up I was the older son of two. Both my brother and I did most things right and never squandered or went far from the “flock”. The idea of inheritance was never wealth but more in guidance and actions…My father was always interested in our events and lives and I do believe that had one of us squandered it, he “would embrace him and kiss him.” Selfishly as a father I feel most compelled to see what Jesus did and ask myself, “do I have that same resolve and wisdom? am I acting as Jesus has guided me?” Imagine hearing these words from your child, “I know longer deserve to be called your son.” I would be devastated; and at the same time, could I feel love and admiration? Do I embrace him and kiss him? What is a departure? What is squander? – Could it be strength or resolve to go from the “flock” – ...

Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46 Both readings remind us of the ways in which envy can lead us astray. Like Joseph’s brothers we want what others have and wonder why they should be so lucky. Whether it is a parent’s favor, wealth, looks, power and position or athletic prowess, we would all like to have it a bit better. In the case of the tenant farmers they want to keep all of the produce of their labors despite not owning the vineyard. I don’t think most of us would sell our brother into slavery or kill the bill collectors out of jealousy and greed; nonetheless more insidious effects can occur. We may gossip and disparage others and rationalize dishonesty and theft. We all need to learn to be thankful and mindful of the gifts we have while we avoid the temptation of “Keeping up with the Kardashians”, God forbid. Ambition can be a good attribute when tempered by principle but it can easily grow out of control. The parable of the vineyard also points out the need ...

Jeremiah 17:5-10 Luke 16:19-31 “More tortuous than all else is the human heart. Who but our Lord can understand it? Blessed is the man whose hope is in the Lord...” In this reading, Jeremiah provides witness to the reality, difficulty and often misguidedness of the human experience.  At the medical clinic for Madre in El Salvador, our wonderful pastoral liaison, Karen Miller, gathered the team in prayer. She affirmed and encouraged us, urging the team to seek the face of God in those we encountered.   The weather had been hot and humid, the clinic schedule was packed with patients in need and the social and economic challenges were striking. I arrived ready to apply my career experience as a nurse practitioner. I was eager to get busy fixing problems and to utilize my privilege to the service of those in need. After all, isn’t that the expression of “faith in action” that we are called to? God had a lesson awaiting me. My last patient of the day was an elderly woman who was bu...

Jeremiah 18:18-20 Matthew 20:17-28 In the gospel for today Jesus instructs us “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.” As our friends at Church of the Resurrection reminded us back in December: Be Just, Kind, Humble. This call from Jesus does not sound at all like our contemporary world. As you read this it has been 2 weeks since Ash Wednesday, almost 4 weeks since the Super Bowl, and March Madness is about to begin. I can confidently predict that you will not hear any NFL fans or college basketball fans chanting “We want to be your Servants!” I was raised with the expectation that I should try my best, and work to excel. I should strive to achieve the highest score on the test. I should work hard to provide a comfortable life for my family. Perhaps in that last goal, working hard to provide for others, I am close to living out the challenge that Jesus provides for me today. Choosing to be a servant to those...

Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 Matthew 23:1-12 “Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.” On Ash Wednesday 2020, I attended all school mass at Visitation. It was a beautiful day and I was looking forward to the beginning of Lent. I remember the homily Monsignor provided to the students, parents, and parishioners that day. It was all about integrity, or as Monsignor said emphatically IN-TEG-RI-TY. He talked about symbols that represent things we value or commitments we have made. For example, the crosses on the top of our church represent that God is present and we are a community of faith. If someone were to come into our church and not find people of faith, we are not living with integrity. He also cited married men and women who wear wedding rings. The rings symbolize the sacrament of holy matrimony, of love and commitment to their spouse. If you wear a wedding ring but are unfaithful and do not demo...

  Daniel 9: 4b-10 Luke 6:36-38 “Be merciful and you will receive mercy.” According to the gospel, being merciful is one of the outstanding virtues we Christians should uphold and embody. Mercy is defined as compassion and includes feelings and acts of kindness, sympathy, forgiveness and love. Again and again, Jesus taught, “blessed are the merciful.” He showed mercy to all, including people considered social or spiritual outcasts. St. Thomas Aquinas said, “Mercy is the greatest of all virtues.” Throughout life, there will be times when people are unkind to us, perhaps even hateful. There will be times when people are ungrateful or behave thoughtlessly toward us. Regardless, we must strive to treat them with compassion, forgiveness and grace, just as God has shown to us. God may put someone in your path who has physical, emotional or financial needs they are unable to address on their own. Will you extend mercy to them? God wants us to show mercy...for it can bring us “happiness.” O...

Genesis 12:1-4a 2 Timothy 1:8b-10 Matthew 17:1-9 I’ve never really understood this “in tents” story. Peter, along with James and John - “sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17) - hike up a mountain with Jesus, who is transfigured, then God speaks from a cloud! Let’s unpack this a bit: Why Moses and Elijah? Both had famous experiences with God on a mountaintop (Exodus 24:9–34:35 and 1 Kings 19:8–18). OK, so God brings Moses and Elijah back. Peter’s first reaction? Build three tents! What’s he thinking? Scholars say Peter was not referring to ordinary campsite tents. The Greek word translated as “tents” refers to crude shelters the Hebrews called a sukkah (“sook-kah”), with roofs of willows, palm trees, and other leafy trees (Leviticus 23:40-43). Easy to build and take down - the Israelites used these as they wandered the desert. God even gave Moses instructions for an annual 7-day festival where the Israelites were to build sukkot and pray (Leviticus 23:33-44). Jesus and His disciples attended thi...

 Deuteronomy 26:16-19 Matthew 5:43-48 Can a person love God with all your heart and all your soul? This seems extremely difficult. When I think hard about this, it makes me not want to even try. At first. I mean, “ALL your heart…”? C’mon! I can certainly carve out a spot in my heart for God. But there’s so much else in the world to do. We all have deadlines to meet, obligations to fulfill, and ample forms of entertainment to appease our needs. As a kid, growing up, I’d go through the motions. We went to church as afamily. I’d occasionally pay attention, but most of the Mass was over my head. My sisters and I went to CCD. We learned the stories in the Bible but were mostly coaxed along with snacks. I was confirmed; then my spiritual life went into hibernation. As a college student, I went to church a few times (emphasis on a few). I was more interested in school, sports, and friendships than observing God’s ways. After college, living the single life as a young professional, I didn’...

Ezekiel 18:21-28 Matthew 5:20-26 “Since they turned away from all the sins they committed, they shall live; they shall not die.” There have, unfortunately, been too many funerals and memorial services lately; and what I have come to reflect on from these occasions is the phrase, “I’m sorry for your loss.” Increasingly, I’m not sure it is an appropriate reflection of what has occurred. When we speak about death and life, it seems limited to an individual’s time in this world. But the Christian faith is founded on the belief of eternal life, of the Easter resurrection. The life we live in the service of God cannot be defeated by a mortal death and will carry forward into eternity. What then does it mean to live in service of God? Is it the repetition of rituals and prayer, or is it the meaning that these rituals and prayer evoke? Fundamental to our Christian meaning is love. For it is in love that we create, enrich, and celebrate the miracle of life. For comparison, consider that all sin...

 Esther 12, 14-16, 23-25 Matthew 7:7-12 In today’s first reading, Esther had faith that God would give her the words to convince the king to show mercy on her people and save them from their enemies. Like Esther, there was a time in my life that I felt alone and wandering through the desert. I would pray that God would take my hand, walk with me and guide me through. We must acknowledge that we need God’s help and that God alone has the power to save us. Faith is believing that God will take care of us; faith is what gets us through those unanswered questions of why, when or how. A very wise man (Steve Engler) once told me if you have all the answers, then you would not need faith. Faith is what carries us through the uncertainties of life. In the Gospel of Matthew God says “Do unto others whatever you would have them do unto you”. God is our perfect example of giving. He will watch for our needs but we must be patient, which can be very difficult. God will answer our prayers accor...