In my opinion, it is a mistake to expect in prayer a response from God. Often, God's response is outside prayer. And often, we do not link up an outside response with the effort we put into prayer. Basil Hume More Quotes by Basil Hume More Quotes From Basil Hume The great gift of Easter is hope - Christian hope which makes us have that confidence in God, in his ultimate triumph, and in his goodness and love, which nothing can shake. Basil Hume hope christian faith Soon after you're dead - we're not sure how long - but not long, you'll be united with the most ecstatic love you've ever known. As one of the best things in your life was human love, this will be love, but much more satisfying, and it will last forever. Basil Hume love-you long death Why God should want and need us is a mystery. But it is true: otherwise he would not have created us and life would ultimately have no meaning for us. It is good to remember that in God the is a constancy, a consistency of attitude which never changes, irrespective of what we are or how we act: he never changes in is wanting us or needing us. Basil Hume consistency attitude needs We have really lost in our society the sense of the sacredness of life. Basil Hume sacredness society lost Deep down, we remain human, very human and have all the desires to love and be loved by one person. Basil Hume humans desire love From aquaintances we conceal our real selves. To our friends we reveal our weaknesses. Basil Hume weakness real self Moral choices do not depend on personal preference and private decision but on right reason and, I would add, divine order. Basil Hume divine-order choices decision Death remains about the one certain fact in the lives of each one of us, and there will be suffering, sorrow, and sadness next week as there was last week. Basil Hume sad suffering next-week Christ shared our experience; he suffered as we suffer; he died as we shall die, and for forty days in the desert he underwent the struggle between good and evil. Basil Hume suffering struggle evil Let us remind ourselves that if we are to be our Lord's disciples, we must take up his Cross and follow him. Basil Hume remind follow us lord When we are truly praying, then we can begin to see Christ in our neighbour; when we are really praying, we can begin to live for the Father. Basil Hume live see father christ Our response, our attitude, depends on our realisation of God's attitude toward us. If I experience love or have experienced it, this is the means whereby I can explore the mystery of God's love. Basil Hume experience god attitude love It is not because we are drawn to prayer that we first begin to pray; more often, we have to begin prayer, and then the taste and the desire for it come. Basil Hume more taste prayer desire We are blind: we cannot see God with our senses, and our deductions from what we know or are thinking about the word of God itself - how little power they have to bring us to God! We are blind, and our eyes need the touch of our Lord's hand to enable us at times to even see dimly. Basil Hume eyes power god thinking The experience of prayer when there is no awareness of God and no apparent response from ourselves should not lead us to escape from prayer or give it up. Basil Hume escape experience prayer god Even though you find yourself in an intolerable position, one in which you think you have no right to be, accept it here and now as the Cross; then, later, you can plan how to do better. Basil Hume yourself better think you It is axiomatic that the Cross we get is the one we most dislike: we would choose any other. But it is equally true that the Cross which is ours is the one Christ wants us to bear. Basil Hume choose us true dislike What did our Lord do by his Passion, Death, and Resurrection? He bridged that gulf which exists between God and man, a gulf which can only be bridged by him. Basil Hume man passion god death Behind every crucifix stands our risen Lord. Hidden in every suffering and pain is the joy of closer union with him. His is the victory. He invites us to share it. Basil Hume victory pain suffering joy It is healthy to say, 'Yes, I am a sinner,' and to recognise that this should lead us to turn to God full of confidence in his love and mercy. Basil Hume i-am confidence god love
