Spiritual strength is the most powerful thing we’ve got

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

A daily reflection on the daily readings by Father Perry.

+ “God will give us all that we need. He will never let us down. He is our strength and our salvation.”

These are the things we say that recognize and express our deepest convictions about our God and God’s  super-generosity to us always and everywhere.

These scriptures make it absolutely clear, and at the very same time strangely obscure.

I, for one, believe that God gives us everything that we need, always and everywhere, but the question is how? And in what form, and when? And how do we access it?

+ The physical, material world is just that. We experience it. We trade in it. We collect it and bundle it up for the future. We get comfort from it. We might even find ourselves doing mean things to keep it and be sure that no one takes it away from us.

+ But there is something deeper than the physical and material.

That deeper reality — the spiritual — is where everything takes on deeper meaning, becomes richer, and really satisfies our deepest hungers and thirsts. It is here in the spiritual realm, I believe, where God answers our every need, and shows God’s deepest and super-generosity.

Interestingly, it is here in the spiritual realm where we can lose the physical and material and be able to deal with it in such a way that does not leave us crushed and broken.

It is in the spiritual realm where we even find ourselves willing to willingly give up to others, share, divide among, and go without the physical and material, because we are so in touch with the deeper spiritual reality that imbues everything with meaning.

+ These are not slick and tricky ideas and words to say that God helps us and loves us even when we are down and out. God does help us and love us, even when we are down and out.

It is in the Spirit that we conquer. It is in the Spirit that we heal. It is in the Spirit that we find courage, hope, peace, strength, goodness and desire to share, and willingness to forgive, and all of the super-generous assistance and meaning from our God that will carry us through anything.

+ When we become convinced that our God wants to feed us where we are most hungry and thirsty and will pour out into and over us every spiritual blessing, we will begin to see the world with God’s eyes.

When that happens, there will be more justice, peace, unity, and love.

+ We do not need God to give us money and food and things. We need God to give us the inner spiritual gifts that make us appreciate and share the money and food and things that we have.

Then we will see the truth, and believe that: “God will give us all that we need. He will never let us down. He is our strength and our salvation.”

Father Perry D. Leiker is the 14th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at perry.leiker@gmail.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.