God Works in Mysterious Ways. Sometimes

It is often said that God sometimes works in mysterious ways. Sometimes, however, He doesn’t. Sometimes the answer is so much simpler than anyone thought. But amazing nonetheless.
Father Steve Mattson of the Church of the Resurrection parish can recall praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet in front of Lansing Michigan’s last free standing abortion clinic. He recalls praying fervently for the closing of the clinic. He didn’t know how it could happen but he prayed nonetheless.

Fr. Mattson prays for many things including helping out his local Catholic schools by attracting a group of Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, to teach in them. He knew they received requests from all over the country but he requested anyway and prayed. And that prayer was answered when he learned that four nuns would indeed come.

Of course, with that solution, a new problem presented itself. Where would the nuns live?

In a phone conversation with me, Fr. Mattson told me that “it became evident that they would need a large space to support their cloistered home life together as well as a more ‘public’ space for their chapel and an area where they would be able to host visitors.

He searched for housing for them for more than a month and finally decided that the parish rectory and office would be the most suitable location for their new convent. That solution too led to a new problem. Where to put the rectory and parish offices?

He prayed and prayed and began searching for rental properties within a two mile area. “As time passed, the Lord made clear that our need for temporary office space and our parish commitment to pray and fast to end abortion might come together providentially,” he said.

Pray, Pray, Pray sometimes I pray for the simplest of things. My good friend called me Friday evening to ask me which Saint we Catholics call on to find lost things. I told him it was St. Anthony but I call him Tony when I am looking for something. He had lost his wallet with all of his business credit cards and hadn’t noticed it for two days. We prayed together... Tony, Tony look around something is lost that must be found. He was just then pulling into the movie theatre where he thought it might have slipped out of his pocket. I hung up and within two hours received a text... Thanks Tony the theatre called they had found it.

PRAISE GOD!

Sometimes prayers are answered quickly and exactly in the way you would expect other times that’s just not the way it works out.

My prayers are now for a neighbor, Joe who is in his 40’s with two teenage children and is loosing his sight. I have put him in contact with my brother Lions but he is very confused and distraught at the prospect of being completely blind very soon. Please pray for Joe that he may be healed and that in his suffering he may be drawn closer to our Lord and Savior.

Also the disturbing images from the middle east just keep getting more and more horrific. May God HELP them... and us for our part in what has led to the election of such a vial, despicable and indifferent administration that can only make token gestures towards any real resolutions while surreptitiously lending aid and comfort to the enemies of civilization.

May those that struggle against evil be strengthened and encouraged and may God’s just and righteous wrath come quickly.

I am convinced that all of our prayers are heard and answered, just not always in the time or fashion that we expect or desire. I am sure that there already have been or will be results to your and my prayers that will bring each of us closer to our dear Lord and that His plan is better than ours and we will come to see it.

Even though it is especially difficult to see now, in my personal experience after His plans have become plain to me, in hindsight I can often laugh about how silly my fears and doubts were at time.

All Glory to God!

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