PRAYERS IN TIMES
OF FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES

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Do you find yourself struggling financially these days? Social media channels are now filled with stories from people at their wits end in trying to make ends meet.

With the one-two punch of rampant post-Covid pandemic inflation and the deployment of Artificial Intelligence causing much dislocation in the job market, many people are running up credit card bills just to put food on their tables and/or gas in their cars.

Or they’re on a twisted treadmill of having two or even three jobs (also known as side hustles) just to pay for the necessities that were affordable only a few years ago. And we’re talking here about those people who can find jobs!

Many others are losing their jobs from AI taking over many tasks and then they send out literally hundreds of resumes with no luck in finding further employment.

With so much uncertainty, these prayers in times of financial difficulties can serve as a reminder that, although, in the words of a Cyndi Lauper song “money changes everything,” in our faith it isn’t the only thing that matters, not by a long shot! Here's the first of our two prayers:

Dear Lord,
Help me find firm ground in this shaky economy.
As I seek work and assistance,
Give me strength not to be anxious when I seem to be going nowhere;
Give me patience not to despair when things look bleak;
Give me serenity to know you are here with me, helping me to carry my crosses each day;
So that I may do Your will,
For the salvation of souls
And for my Eternal Life. Amen.

This one is slightly longer, but expresses a similar sentiment:

Dear Lord, in this time of uncertainty,
Be my rock in a world built on sand
Be my oasis of grace and peace in a world filled with tension and turmoil
Help me to carry my cross gracefully, as you did in Your Passion
Help me to follow Your beam of light in the midst of this darkness
Help me to see Your will in all things
And show others Your comfort and strength.
Keep me calm when tempers flare up
Keep me sane in a crazy world
Keep me focused on the houses in Heaven
rather than the houses of cards collapsing around me
Keep my eyes focused on the prize of Heaven
and not lose hope in You in this world or in the world to come
Make me compassionate in dealing with others
Let me see my travails as carrying my cross and sharing in Your Passion, for the love of You and for the salvation of souls, including mine.
And may all my difficulties be ultimately for my good and Your glory. Amen.

Jesus challenged us in the Gospels not to worry about what we need in terms of the necessities of life such as food and clothing, but rather to “seek first the kingdom of God….and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt 6:33). He also advised us not to worry about tomorrow, as it would take care of itself (Matt 6:34).

That seems a lot easier said than done these days, doesn’t it? So many of our anxieties center around two words: money and jobs! And that’s in normal times.

On our Prayer Requests page we’ve posted many notes from people wondering how they’re going to find a job, or pay their bills, or take care of their loved ones!

So, what can we do? Turn to God in prayer, again and again. Persevere in the knowledge He loves us and wants to use our trials to strengthen us emotionally and spiritually if we let him. Give Him all your anxieties and ask for His graces for yourself and your loved ones.

And, as tough as this may sound, don’t give into despair! Try to bear with your financial difficulties with equanimity saying to God, in effect, “Thy will be done.” Our pains and suffering need not be wasted or meaningless if we offer them up to our Lord for our good and for our salvation, as well as that of others.

We can all live with less of everything, everything that is except for love. This is a time to show more compassion towards others, whenever possible, and not to give in to feelings of bitterness about being wronged.

Also, it is important not to let the tension we may naturally feel about how we’re going to provide for our loved ones keep us from showing them our love.

And for those of us who never did anything shady but are still losing jobs and pensions and homes because of the misdeeds of others in this economy, we need to remember our Lord. After all, did He deserve the brutal punishment inflicted upon Him in His Passion, He who was without sin? Of course not, but He bore it anyway for our sake!

As we read in the book of Isaiah “he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins” (Is 53:5). Thinking about this can help keep us from nursing grudges over life’s unfairness.

This doesn’t mean of course, that we should be Pollyannas about these times! The pain and anxieties many of us are feeling about our financial difficulties are quite real. And not quite knowing where the light is at the end of the tunnel, or where we even are in this tunnel, doesn’t help!

Yet God is with us, especially in the midst of our sufferings, and wants to help us advance in holiness during these times if we are willing to let him do so!

This is a time for finding out what is really important in our lives and what really counts. And it’s not the false sense of security and superiority we may get from keeping up with the Joneses! Do we really need to measure our self-worth by the size of our bank accounts, or our houses?

Didn’t Christ tell us instead not to store up treasures here on earth which can decay or be stolen, but rather, through living lives of holiness and true Gospel charity, to store them up in Heaven “where neither rust nor moth consumes, nor thieves break in and steal” (Matt 6:20)?

Speaking of houses, while we worry about making a living, remember what our Lord told His apostles after the Last Supper: “Let not your heart be troubled…In my Father's house there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you: because I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:1-2).

Perhaps you’ve read about those who have had near-death experiences or who have actually died and come back to life, describing peace and magnificent surroundings beyond anyone’s imagination here.

Granted, these are anecdotal but reflect for a minute also on the words of St. Paul who, himself once experienced heaven during his lifetime (2 Cor 12:2). He wrote elsewhere that “eye has not seen nor ear heard...what things God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor 2:9).

Time and time again in scripture we read of the importance of keeping our worship focused on the Creator rather than the created, and not to get too attached to the things of this world. In so doing we may better show genuine love and caring for each other.

When we act in this manner, and bear with our financial difficulties gracefully, turning them over to God, we can better assure that, whatever our situation might be now we have great hope that God will help turn things around for us, if not in this life, than in the Eternal one to come in heaven!

We hope these reflections, like these prayers, can provide you with some comfort and strength. And remember also that everything passes away in this life, both the good and the bad, but God, his place for us, and His love last forever!

All we need to do is to follow Him in loving obedience. As our Lord said to His disciples after His resurrection “I am with you always” (Matt 28:20).

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