From the Website of CBCP
links: http://www.cbcpnews.com/cbcpnews/?p=20008
God rules on prayers by love instead of power, priest says
MANILA, August 1, 2013—Prayers are not like wishes to a genie in a bottle, a French priest said.
Fr. Matthieu Dauchez, executive director of Tulay ng Kabataan
foundation, an organization that provides residential and outreach
programs for street children in Manila, said on Saturday that prayers
uttered by individuals are not simply granted by the Lord like magic.
“Most of the time, we would like our prayer to be like
magic—everything we want, everything we wish, everything we would like
from this world to become true will become true at once,” he said.
“But God is not like this because our God is not a magician. Our God
is a God of love. He wants us to be part of His love, He wants us to be
part of His fight,” he added.
He noted that people must not feel impatient whenever their prayers
remain unanswered for the Lord rules on them by love instead of power.
“If our God is just following our orders, following what we want, He
will just be a powerful God (and not a loving one)… but because He is
speaking of love, God will never agree that He will be answering our
prayer out of power. He wants us to be part of His plan. He wants to do
it out of love,” Dauchez said.
The French priest said that once people have accepted this reality,
they will gain a wider understanding of faith and spirituality and will
better appreciate the value of Divine Intervention.
“When we understand this, we will realize that the intention is
really beautiful. In this world, evil will always be done even to the
most innocent. Our world is like this but it does not mean that God
agrees, it does not mean that we all agree,” he noted.
The priest also noted the importance of prayer, adding that if people
would live the faith they profess, the world will be a much better
place to live in as it will be ruled by God’s love instead of the
self-serving whims and caprices of humans.
“Sometimes, especially when we are in front of suffering, when we are
in front of evil…we can’t help but ask, ‘Lord, is your will done
really?…But why is it like this?’,” he said.
“We will fight for His will to be done. We will fight for this kingdom of God,” he added.
Dauchez added that challenges inevitably come to everyone, further noting that they strengthen one’s faith to the Divine.
“All of us who are behind God, let us do this with prayer. His will
be done, but not out of power, out of love…We who are gathered have to
believe to this love He has given to us,” he said.
(Jennifer M. Orillaza)
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