God is Here: Pope Francis reminds us that God remains present, even in the darkness

The current state of the entire world is enough to send anyone into a deep darkness. The brave are fighting for social justice, both economic and racial. We are taking stands against human trafficking. And dealing with our own personal demons, all on top of fighting a global pandemic.

God knows our faith can be poor.

Highlights

By Abigail James
8/11/2020 (4 years ago)

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: God, Faith, Prayer

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Pope Francis reminds us that, even when caught up in difficult moments, it's important to continue turning our hearts to God. God is near us, even if we do not search for Him.

"Having faith means, in the midst of the storm, keeping your heart turned to God, to his love, to his tenderness as a Father. Jesus wanted to teach this to Peter and his disciples, and also to us today, in moments of darkness, moments of storms," Pope Francis expressed before his August 9 Angelus. 

"God knows well that our faith is poor and that our path can be troubled, blocked by adverse forces. But He is the Risen One, do not forget this, the Lord who went through death to bring us to safety."

Speaking from the heart, the Holy Father explained that God is always present beside us, lifting us back up after we fall. It is God who helps us grow in faith. 

As we cry out to the Lord for help, we come to notice he was right there all along.

In his message, Pope Francis also reflected on a powerful Gospel reading from St. Matthew, when Jesus asks the apostles to cross a lake by boat to meet him.

"The boat at the mercy of the storm is an image of the Church, which in every age encounters headwinds, sometimes very hard trials," the pope noted. "In those situations, [the Church] may be tempted to think that God has abandoned her. But in reality, it is precisely in those moments that the witness of faith, the testimony of love and the testimony of hope shines the most."

"When we feel strong doubt and fear and we seem to sink, in the difficult moments of life, where everything becomes dark, we must not be ashamed to cry out, like Peter: 'Lord, save me!' It is a beautiful prayer!" 

"And the gesture of Jesus, who immediately reaches out his hand and grasps that of his friend, must be contemplated for a long time: Jesus is this, Jesus does this, it is the hand of the Father who never abandons us; the strong and faithful hand of the Father, who always and only w