“Faith truly exists when one speaks to God in the same way one would speak to a man” (St. John Vianney).
Today’s quote can help us integrate our relationship with our Heavenly Father into the “normality” of our daily lives. We know well what it means to talk to another person. It is a natural part of life, unless we suffer from unusual barriers. And it is precisely this naturalness that makes faith come alive. God is the interlocutor with whom I speak, the great “You” with whom I communicate, even though I cannot see Him. But faith transcends the veil that keeps me from seeing Him. Our heart knows it: “You are there. You are my Father. You see me and You know me. All my paths are familiar to You, and nothing is hidden from You.”
This naturalness in relating to our Heavenly Father will permeate every area of my life. I speak to Him as to a kind Father, as to a friend, as to a spiritual teacher who shows me how to walk the straight path, as to a confidant to whom I can open myself with trust and reveal my most intimate secrets, as to the Omniscient One before whom all the mysteries of Heaven and Earth are laid bare, as to the One who waits for me in eternity, the One who knows all my concerns even before I have spoken them or formed them in my heart.
What a blessing it is to relate to our Father in this way, knowing that dialogue with Him leads to the contemplation of His glory!
It is not difficult to establish such a trusting relationship with God, because He has already taken the initiative and spoken to us. We only need to learn to listen to His voice and respond to Him. Then the “great dialogue with God” will begin, as St. Teresa of Avila defines prayer. And the holy Curé of Ars, from whom today’s saying comes, will rejoice with us.