In the past when I prepared for a long car ride, I brought a book to read. Now, I sync my phone to the car, download some podcasts and I check the Oklahoma Catholic Radio website for the current program schedule. Deacon Larry Sousa, Al Kresta and Bishop Baron, just to name a few. As I listen, I am prompted to be disposed to God and what he asks of me.
Previous generations, in their quest for knowledge, pondered world events, from natural disasters to world wars, and their meanings and effects on mankind.
The COVID-19 pandemic produced personal sorrow and some trials in my life that continue to this day. God’s grace has sustained and guided me to be grateful nevertheless. I credit that to what I have learned via Catholic radio programming. What seems hopeless in the eyes of men and women is not so to God. If you listen to programs like “The Journey Home” or “Make Straight the Way,” you will hear of example after example of the least likely individuals becoming God’s chosen messengers, today, not just thousands of years ago. That reality of God reaching out to the ordinary for extraordinary purposes is enough for me to discount despair.
The habit of praying without ceasing, which comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:16, developed for me over years of listening to Catholic radio. All throughout the day, prayers like the Angelus, the Rosary and even Mass are broadcast on Catholic radio for listeners to experience together. This has guided me to other prayers and devotions such as the Divine Mercy chaplet.
A friend of mine introduced me to the Saint Andrew Novena, which began Nov. 30, Saint Andrew’s feast, and continues to Christmas Eve. I am limited here to explain its practice and history in detail, but I can tell you that this two-sentence prayer epitomizes God’s extravagant grace in the face of human obstacles. It proclaims what God’s almighty power and wisdom has bestowed on us despite all the forces and odds against it.
The gifts and consolation that come from prayer do not bestow earthly rewards to us, rather they soften our hearts and allow us to be receptive to grace that prepares us for the life to come. Praying the Saint Andrew novena is not going to make you the next PowerBall winner. God’s hope is for you to get to know him. You then fall in love because you realize his greatest desire for you is to become what he created you to be. Working toward that potential is hope in action.
Whatever God gives you, a robust faith that comes from using tools like Catholic radio will fortify you to face any of the myriad of trials in this life. Replace despondency or resignation to the temporal world with hope and acts of love. They display the boundless, life-affirming provision of God.