Letters of hope and consolation #7

Many of the early Christians who lived as monks and nuns in the desert often spoke of hearing or receiving a “word from the Lord.”  This “word” was not necessarily a single word but could often be a short phrase or even a sentence or two.  This “word” received by the monk or nun could be described as a lesson the Lord was teaching them or a direction the Lord was guiding that person towards.  Some examples of “words” from the Lord could be, “Do not be afraid,” “Trust in God’s love,” “Pray more,” “Persevere,” “Believe in the goodness of God,” etc.

Though this hearing from the Lord appears like a simple process there is one prerequisite.  In order to hear from the Lord you must be listening to your own heart and bringing it before him.  If you discover that you are afraid to trust people, that you feel alone, inadequate, insecure about the future or that you feel like God is asking too much from you, the only logical step is to speak with him about it.  Too often people cover over their hearts and their experience with nice “pious” language because they think those are the words God really wants to hear, meanwhile they miss an opportunity for the Lord to speak a powerful and often times healing “word” into their real, concrete situations of their daily life.

God calls you to pray as you are with your life, your struggles and your joys and not somebody else’s.  There are no two people who pray the same way because there are no two people who are identical.  Each one of us is unique.  If you truly want to hear a “word from the Lord,” then you must take the risk of being yourself before God.  After all, the only person you are fooling praying in any other way is yourself.


God bless you,
Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, NY

Letters of hope and consolation #6

Letters of hope and consolation #5

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Letters of hope and consolation #6

One of the many humorous yet sad aspects of human nature is that we often seek a finite solution to a problem whose only answer is the infinite.  In other words, we seek God in places, people and situations that are imperfect and passing, rather than seeking God himself who is perfect and eternal.

Before Jesus gives us the great commandment to love God with an undivided heart (Mk 12:30) he tells us that “The Lord our God is Lord alone” (Mk 12:29).  A modern translation could read, God is God and nobody or nothing else is God.  Therefore, you are not God, your spouse and children are not God, your friends are not God, your career is not God, money is not God and anything or anybody else in this world is not God.  Only God is God.  Why waste your time looking for Him elsewhere?

Since are hearts are made for God and are continually restless until we find him we can’t help looking for him everywhere.  The problem is we search for him among earthly things and wonder why at the end of the day we are tired, frustrated and feel alienated from ourselves and everybody else.  If we listened more attentively to the experience of our hearts in our search for God maybe then we could comprehend that the tiredness, frustration and alienation we often feel is the result of seeking a finite solution to a problem whose only answer is the infinite.

What you can do regularly is examine your heart and ask the Lord to cast out any idols you may be worshipping in place of Him.  What things or people have I placed above God?  The list could be extensive and can easily include things like people, certain relationships and attitudes that seek to find my identity and self worth entirely in this world and not in God.


The ironic thing is that once you place God above everything else in this life, then and only then, are you able to love life and others appropriately because you are now free from trying to “possess” others and from forcing them to satisfy our deep existential need for a Savior.  There is only one Savior, and nobody, no matter how smart, rich, beautiful or talented they appear can fulfill that role.

“The Lord our God is Lord alone!”  What freedom these words can bring to your heart because they set us free and point us in the direction where we find true happiness.

God bless you,
Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, NY

Letters of hope and consolation #5

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Letters of hope and consolation #5

The beauty and grandeur of life is this simple; God is calling you to an intimate relationship with him.  He who is almighty, all powerful and all knowing invites you to walk “hand in hand” with him through your life.  There is no thought you have, no suffering you endure, no confusion you feel and no happiness that you experience that is not important to God.

Could anything be better than this?  Even when all the things of this world grow old and fade away your relationship with God continues to grow and increase.  It is the one thing that will not disappoint you and prohibit you from thinking that you are alone in this world.

No matter where you travel in life, no matter how many friends you have, how much money you make or how influential you are, you can never experience anything better than what you already have; this profound invitation from God to a deeper union with him.  This fact alone makes life worth living to the fullest.


God bless you,
Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, NY

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