Reflections from the Heart – October 6, 2024

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

The LORD God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone.” One of our biggest and most dreaded fears is being alone. Truly, it is truly one of our most fearful and dreadful moments. We dread the thought throughout our lifetime of being alone, of feeling alone, of looking around and realizing there is no one left – I am all alone. It is truly a dreadful thought and a terrible thing to have to consider. It is a terrible fearful thing to have to experience. Fortunately, God created us in a blessed and awesome gathering of persons. One God, three persons united in a bond of charity, unity, peace and eternal love. This image and likeness of God is not fake or fantasy, as some people may want you to believe. God is real, a true reality, the reality of who he is to us. It reflects a deep profound mystery of an everlasting faithful friendship, a true and everlasting spiritual relationship, and a holy family that promises and fulfills the commitment to love and honor each other and everyone for all eternity. We cannot imagine or fathom how blessed we are to be immersed in this reality and the reality of this image. We simply forget or never consider the thought or experience the reality, that we too, have an everlasting membership in this awesome family, we too are partakers of this divine relationship, we also have fellowship in this most holy friendship that for us is truly our truest treasure on earth and most sturdy rock and lifelong shelter in heaven. In God, we are never alone. God is faithful to the covenant he establishes with us and forevermore committed to his family, our family, this family, all of us. However, how do we overcome the sense, that dreadful, fearful notion of being alone? It is real for some and true for most. How do we overcome moments of aloneness when we look up and no one is physically present to us, available to us, with us anymore? How do we respond to situations when surrounded by family, friends, people, coworkers, parishioners, strangers yet we feel alone, left out, unheard, not listened to, invisible, misunderstood? Real feelings, true emotions, honest reactions. Pray. Not with words but with intention. Not rambling but relating to the persons who are always with you, listening to you even when you feel like complaining, rejoicing or crying when you are left alone. God is available always, so do not leave him alone and pray.