It is easier to complain and give up when things go bad or become very difficult than being calm and hopeful. It is easier to forget the good times but easier to remember the bad times! Memory plays an important role in our psychological and spiritual well being: while bad memories fill us with rage, anger and depression, and could cause health hazards such as high blood pressure, good memories fill us with joy, happiness and improved our health conditions.
In the spiritual life, good memories also play an important role. It is an essential key to effective prayer! In prayer, memories serve as REMEMBRANCE- remembering what God hath done in the past! If you wish to know how this improves your prayer life, read slowly…
Mk. 8:14-21
…And they (the Apostles) said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And Jesus knew it, and he said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread?… Are your minds closed?…Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ They answered, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ And they answered, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Are you still without perception?’
POINTS FOR REFLECTION
2. The repeated questions by Jesus to his Apostles is to help them REMEMBER how situations that seems impossible (humanly thinking) were solved. Hence remembrance of what God has done re-vitalises Faith as “the power button” is to a device!
Faith cometh (or is born) by hearing the Word of God (Rom 10:17), but REMEMBRANCE keeps it alive!
3. If you remember what God has done in the past; your faith comes alive once more and is refreshed for another FAITH-DIALOGUE (Prayers) which brings the FUTURE (Your Needs) to the PRESENT (the good actions you must perform in faith).
TASK: The best way to remember what the Lord has done is to “count your blessings, naming them one by one” STOP whatever you are doing Now and REMEMBER what God has done for you from when your memory can take you: at least from the beginning of the year till now! God is awesome, isn’t He.
© Fr. SimOne Madu, OSJ
