Dear Friends,
Sharing a parishioner’s story about the power of prayer and the hope such power proclaims.
Peace,
Fr. Damian
My Recent Experience With Prayer
I’m humbled to have been asked to share with you all a little bit about how prayer has helped me as I navigate this new season of life.
A little over a year ago I received an e-mail that, upon reading the subject line, had me on a roller coaster of emotions. At once my curiosity was piqued, anxiety rose, and a million questions flooded my mind. I’ve read these words before, persevered through these challenges in the past, and was aware I would receive such news around that time, yet I still found palliating my emotions to be an uphill battle.
The subject line simply read:
PCS NOTIFICATION
Those who’ve served in the Armed Forces are all too familiar with those few words. To put it into layman’s terms: You’re moving. Where exactly did Uncle Sam have in mind for me? Omaha, Nebraska.
Where will I live and where will I go to Church? How will I meet new people? How will I fare during my first real Midwestern winter? Will my things make it up here in one piece? Will I be welcomed? What the heck is a Runza? Questions like these and many more were at the forefront of my thoughts. I loathed the feeling of uncertainty and desired immediate answers. Needless to say, I felt distraught: I had slowly built a close-knit group of friends, was a member of an incredible parish (the parish in which I was confirmed and received into the Catholic Church), and would be located even further away from my family. I had to now leave it all behind, say one too many goodbyes, and hit the reset button once more.
Prayer was my saving grace. I found myself seeking the Lord’s counsel almost unceasingly. I prayed for patience, to allow things to fall into place as the Lord saw fit in my life. I prayed for clarity as I discerned whom to befriend, where I shall worship, and how I may be of service to others. I asked that I may be granted the flexibility to adapt to my new normal, establish a healthy rhythm, and to continue to pray and express gratitude once I’ve settled in.
As of late, I’ve witnessed countless graces abounding in my life; I believe that to be in no small part due to the time I’ve spent in prayer. The many uncertainties that I once felt overwhelming were all alleviated, one after another, in due time. The opportunities that lie ahead in this new chapter of my career have invoked a sense of excitement and deeper purpose. I’ve befriended an incredible group of Catholic young adults, with whom I’ve grown deeply in faith and fellowship. Lastly, I’m blessed to now call St. Frances Cabrini my church home, where I’ve been welcomed so warmly. The opportunities to serve and receive an abundance of graces while immersed in a truly extraordinary community has been a far greater gift than I had previously fathomed.
Prayer has invoked a paradigm shift in the way in which I now “hold on” to my anxieties. I can rest in knowing that I am not alone, even when I didn’t know a soul in this beautiful city that I now call home. I can let go and breathe, as the Holy Spirit takes what I offer up in prayer. Joshua 1:9 beautifully encapsulates this what I’ve come to discover on this journey: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
With much gratitude,
Joshua A. Cyrus