Posted on 04/04/2014 1:58:22 PM PDT by ebb tide
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Don’t hold back when praying to God — tell him exactly what’s wrong and insist on holding him to his promises, Pope Francis said.
Prayer should be like speaking face-to-face with a friend: “without fear, freely and also with insistence,” the pope said in his homily April 3 during an early morning Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
Pope Francis’ homily focused on the day’s reading from the Book of Exodus (32:7-14), in which Moses begs God to spare his people, even though they have created a golden calf to worship as their god.
God says he’s going to let his wrath “blaze up against them to consume them,” but Moses reminds the Lord that these are his own people he has saved before and has promised to make their descendents “as numerous as the stars in the sky.”
Pope Francis leads a prayer as he begins his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 19. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) Pope Francis leads a prayer as he begins his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 19. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) Pope Francis said that, in the day’s reading, Moses shows what praying to God should really feel and sound like: not filled with empty words, but a heartfelt, “real fight with God.”
Moses is courageously insistent and argues his point, the pope said, and prayer must also be “a negotiation with God, presenting arguments” supporting one’s position.
When God decides to not punish his people, it’s not God who has changed, but Moses, the pope said.
By freely talking out the problem and underlining all the ways God has always shown his mercy, Moses was able to rediscover, deep in his heart, what his head already “more or less sort of knew.”
“Prayer changes our hearts. It helps us better understand what our God is like,” it helps people grow closer to him, recognize his love and rejuvenate one’s faith.
The pope underlined what Jesus said: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.”
“No, say what’s what: ‘Look, Lord, I have this problem, in my family, with my child, with this, with that … What can you do? Now see here, you can’t leave me like this!’ This is prayer. And does this prayer take a long time? Yes, it takes time.”
Pray like Moses did, face-to-face with the Lord, like a friend, freely, with insistence and good arguments, the pope said. “And also scold the Lord a little: ‘Hey, you promised me this, and you haven’t done it …’ Like that, like you talk with a friend.”
Open one’s heart wide to God and get to know him better, he said. Prayer is a grace, and the Holy Spirit is present; it changes and reinvigorates one’s heart so people can strike back out on their life journey.
Thank you. May he bless you too and I hope you’re having a blessed Lent.
Did not one of His last words, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me? “ is as close as it gets to being “angry” with God right then and there as I see it.
Both.
God is challenged every time you cry out for help, He wants that.
I hope you weren’t addressing that to me, as my post was about serving, not fighting for your own way.
Apparently, you see a lot things differently than me if you think that was “anger”.
When you look at your crucifix, if you own one, do you see “anger”?
I see nothing but LOVE from Christ on the Cross.
The words from Psalm 22 is the only time that Jesus spoke with emotion pretty close to anger for a very brief moment.
Please don’t misunderstand. Two clarifications: 1. I’m not saying that we won’t get disciplined as children when we express our anger - but I believe God in his wisdom guides us and answers us to learn, to become more Christ-like. 2. When I say ‘challenge’ it’s more like when God says in the Old Testament to ‘Prove me(some translations ‘Test me’ - not as in tempt God but in challange me to show you that I AM THAT I AM and mean what I say - My promises are Yeah and Amen! That is what I believe Moses and Abraham did. God loves a humble heart - but he also loves when we come to him in sincerity of feelings and thoughts - and he WILL correct us as the perfect loving Father.
God is challenged every time we sin. There’s no reason to challenge Him even more.
Once again, look at Lucifer’s challenge and where it got him.
But you just said Christ said His last words, on the Cross, in anger. Which is it?
You see things different from how I see it. There is nothing wrong with challenging God in a good sense, meaning when you need His help.
The way it sounded, during His suffering on the Cross.
I admire this pope enormously and I think I see what he is trying to do. He is a true shepherd and is trying every which way to get the sinners, the doubters, the unbelievers, the disappointed back into the fold where we all belong.
He sacrifices the whole truth sometimes for pastoral concerns.
I don’t really think it is okay to fight with the Lord, however. Everything we are told by the Almighty is for our own good. Even when our prayers are not answered it is still for our own good, hard as that may be to believe sometimes.
Psalms 106: And he gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.
This is about sinners (so if the shoe fits, slip it right on), but I think contains a deeper truth for all of us. When we realize everything he wants us to do or not do is for us, not him, it brings a special kind of peace. His orders are the exact opposite of most earthly orders, and that I think is the reason for much unbelief. We don’t want anyone bossing us around the way earthly bosses do.
It’s better to fight with Him than to ignore Him completely and turn to other things, but you are still on the staircase, not really where he wants you to be for your sake.
What Bible are you pulling your Psalm 22 from?
Psalm 22:
[1] A psalm for David. The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing. [2] He hath set me in a place of pasture. He hath brought me up, on the water of refreshment: [3] He hath converted my soul. He hath led me on the paths of justice, for his own name’ s sake. [4] For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me. [5] Thou hast prepared a table before me against them that afflict me. Thou hast anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is it!
>>He sacrifices the whole truth sometimes for pastoral concerns.<<
Classic oxymoron. If Christ sacrificed the Truth, we’d all be damned.
Will you challenge God, in a good sense, at your final judgement?
>>No it is not a sin to be angry wiht God. It is an emotion neither good nor bad.<<
Did you know that anger is one of the seven deadly sins? And what can be worse than being angry with God?
I believe you quoted Psalm 23.
I quoted Psalm 22 from the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible. I have no idea what bible you and biggirl are sourcing.
http://www.drbo.org/chapter/21022.htm
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