In a world that is culturally distant from God, in a society that tends toward individual isolation and values independence, self-sufficiency, skepticism, and cynicism, it can be hard to remember that God is always present with us, and even harder to feel that presence throughout the day. The urgencies and immediacies of each each moment cloud our awareness of Him, and focus our minds on the temporal and fleeting instead of the heavenly and eternal. The brokenness of our world makes it harder still to remember Him as a God both powerful and loving, because the pain of death, oppression, fear, war, terrorism, unemployment, sickness, and so on seem far more real and relevant than His high and unknown redemptive plan and purpose. Those things we see, are forced to see, time and time again; God, we have to take on a bit of faith.
And the Church, in her wisdom knowing how difficult it can be to rely on this invisible faith when the world we see is devolving into chaos and darkness, gives us these beautiful, simple prayers.
Christ rose from the dead and is always present in His Church.
Let us adore Him, and say:Stay with us, Lord.
Lord Jesus, victor over sin and death, glorious and immortal,
Be always in our midst.Stay with us, Lord.
Come to us in the power of Your victory,
And show our hearts the loving kindness of Your FatherStay with us, Lord.
Come to heal a world wounded by division,
For You alone can transform our hearts and make them one.Stay with us, Lord.
Strengthen our faith in final victory,
And renew our hope in Your second coming.Stay with us, Lord.
(from Thursday’s Liturgy of the Hours)
That is what we pray for – His presence, His power, His love, His healing and transformation in our broken world – and it is what He has promised in His Word, so we know that one day, someday, our prayers will be fully answered and redemption fully brought forth. And in the meantime we pray for the faith to hold fast to Him when our sight and understanding fail.
little thoughts 