THROUGH UNTRUE
During Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, he issued a proclamation in 1863 that said:
“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties from heaven. We have enjoyed peace and prosperity throughout the years. We have grown in number, wealth, and power, but we have forgotten God. We have become too self-sufficient. We vainly imagine, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all the blessings we enjoy are produced by our own wisdom and virtue. It is time for us to confess our sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness from God.”
How many leaders and heads of state today would remind us of the menace of self-sufficiency? Many of them would tell us that we have the right to lead our lives as we see fit. They encourage us to be independent and self-reliant. They tell us to dream big and pursue our goals with relentless passion and determination. But they say this as if everything depends on us, and we do not need God to achieve our destinies.
I once read a story about a woman who, after the 9/11 bombing in New York, was asked by a reporter, “Why do you think God allowed this to happen?” She replied, “For the past years, we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government, and to get out of our lives. Being the gentleman that He is, I believe He has decided to back out. How can we expect God to protect us if we want Him to leave us alone?”
Pope Benedict XVI once wrote, “Many people today still believe in God, but they believe in Him the way they believe that two plus two equals four. They just know that He is there and remember Him on Sunday but forget Him from Monday to Saturday.”
In his book “Who Needs God?” Harold Kushner writes: “For many people, the issue is no longer the existence of God, but the importance of God. The question is not ‘Does God exist?’ but ‘Does my faith in God make a difference in my life?’”
Today’s solemn feast of the Epiphany provides a potent antidote to self-sufficiency. Three wise men journeyed through uncharted territories in search of the child Jesus. Although they were well-equipped for their journey, they relied more on their faith, symbolized by a star. Faith illuminated their path, providing them the courage to face uncertainties, resilience in the face of setbacks, and a sense of purpose despite moments of self-doubt.
Their faith is not only personal but collaborative. Their firm belief in God’s providence helped them believe in each other, fostering the synergy needed to achieve their common goal.
The Three Wise Men dispel the illusion that we do not need God in our lives. Often, we think that with the right strategic plan, material resources, talents, and abilities, we can achieve any goal we set our eyes on. But as one saying goes: “The devil smiles when we make plans. The devil laughs when we get too busy. But the devil trembles when we pray.”
Prayerlessness is a sign of an arrogant self-sufficiency. When we don’t pray, we are actually more helpless. We read in the Letter of St. James: “You lack strength because you don’t pray. You lack joy because you don’t allow Jesus to fill you. You lack wisdom because you don’t allow God to enlighten you.” (James 4:2)
Prayer links us with God’s inexhaustible power. The most powerful energy a person can generate is prayer energy. Mother Teresa once said: “When you pray, you are not doing things for God. Instead, you allow God to do great things for you!”