Confidence

We love to watch young people grow in self-confidence.  In a high school setting, as well as in a family, it is astounding at times to see the difference between a freshman and a senior.  Not only is there a physical change in height and weight, but also in the confidence those four years of experience bring. We've known that transition ourselves, and it is gratifying to see it happen in others.
Fr. Alfred Delp, S.J,. a German spiritual writer who was killed by the Nazis in 1954, describes confidence as "something that can be relied on in face of all doubt and reservation and appearances to the contrary."  Personal self-doubt diminishes significantly as we go through life and find that stretching beyond our limits and sometimes even forcing us to do something we dread, gives us a new self-reliance we never thought we had.  We all remember fearing to jump into deep water, even when someone was there to catch us.  Once we did it, we found it was fun, and we did it over and over again....eventually on our own.
Our confidence in God, Divine Providence, and the power of prayer grows as we leap into his arms, as the child into the water, and we find that with God's help, we can do it!  We trust a little, and that trust increases with each new leap. We learn to pray with not only confidence but with an expectation that God will hear our prayer and answer it. We grow in confidence that no matter what, God is always there and will care for us in ways that exceed our imagination.  Lord, may I grow in this trust and confidence that I may be a more supple instrument in your hands.  Amen.
Bro. Rene