[Sing LONGING FOR GOD]
I would say that most of us search for “meaning” in their lives. That is, we want to know our purpose or we want to have lives that are meaningful. This is a universal quest. Spiritual writer Gerald May says that each of us has an emptiness or spaciousness within us, that longs to be filled. Think of a gap or hole in your torso. Unfortunately many of us try filling that emptiness (spaciousness) with all sorts of things . . . food, alcohol, more time at the office, pornography, sports, etc. I believe that God created that emptiness, or spaciousness, in us which can only be filled by God. God purposely created us to have a longing . . . for God.
I wrote a song, a few years ago, that speaks of that emptiness.
[sing verse 1]
I am longing for your words whispering peace.
I am longing for your voice singing my release.
You are holy sigh as my wounds are made whole.
You are breath of life whose voice is my soul.
Your voice is my soul.
In the gospel, Jesus made up a story (a parable) to talk about a woman who has a longing for something. The woman was a widow (which means that she doesn’t really have a voice or rights in the law), yet she is pestering a bad judge. And if the dishonest judge will listen and grant her what she needs, how much more will our loving God grant us our longings?
The trouble is, that many of the demands, or requests, that we make of God are too limiting, or too narrow. It is like we are asking for a specific item (which we think will fill us) and then make us happy. For example praying, “God I want this to happen.” or “God I need this to work out this way.”
[Instrumental begins]
Instead we could be turning our prayers into requests that say, “God I want to be filled by you.” “I want to become closer to you.” “God, I am searching for my darkness to end.”
[Sing verse 2]
I am searching for your light, a bush unburnt.
I am searching for your grace, as gift not earned.
You are day when night all around me descends
You are healing dawn for my darkness to end.
For my darkness to end.
God is in control, not us. Often our frustrations come when we don’t feel that God is listening or answering. We pray NOT to change God, we pray to change ourselves.
For example in the realm of life issues, often we get stuck concentrating on only one life issue instead of being open to the issues of life. As Catholics will always be longing for life. We are pro-life. But it doesn’t just mean protecting the unborn, but it means looking at all life . . . womb to tomb. Deceased Cardinal Bernadine from Chicgo calls this a seamless garment. That is, it is one whole structure not piece-together. For example . . . .
-We can’t focus on anti-abortion rules and then support the death penalty.
-We can’t say we are loving and then claim to hate “those people.”
-We can’t say that we believe in peace and then ignore the unjustices done to innocent
people or stereotype a group of people and declare that they are never welcome in
our country.
It’s tricky, because as we look to the elections there is no one candidate or one party who embraces all of the life issues. Life issues include abortion, adequate health care, euthanasia, climate change, clean water, sex trafficking, war . . . and on and on. It’s overwhelming.
It’s complicated. In a couple of weeks (Wednesday, November 2) we will have a speaker to help us sort through these issues. And at the end of Mass today, we will be showing you how to become more informed from the US Catholic Bishops through signing up to receive emails.
[instrumental begins]
I believe that all of us are longing to do the right thing. We search for meaning . . . and to be filled by God. And wants to fill us, to help, to guide us. We just have to ask.
I am waiting for your touch asking for dance.
I am waiting for your lead giving me the chance.
You the one who holds all the falls of my shame.
You, with open arms, embracing my pain.
Who embraces my pain.
I am longing. I am longing. I am longing