Waiting on God: finding hope in the waiting

We may have all experienced this at one point in our faith journey - the weary waiting.

Whether you’re waiting on an answered prayer for you or a loved one, praying for a miracle or you surrendered your deepest desires to the Lord, trusting in His will - yet God's answer may seem delayed or His silence may feel difficult to understand. Waiting on God can feel like a long and difficult road.

The cycle of hope

You go to Sunday Mass and the homily speaks directly to your heart. It gives you the hope and strength you need to face another week. But as the days pass, life becomes busy. The encouragement you felt on Sunday begins to fade and the doubts, fears, anxieties and weariness slowly return.

You attend a Healing Mass and encounter the peace of Christ. Perhaps you receive a message of hope or are reminded that Jesus, through the loving intercession of our Blessed Mother, hears every prayer you bring before Him. Yet the Mass ends, and weeks or even months pass before you’re able to attend another one.

You continue to pray, trust and wait for God’s answer - but when you cannot yet see your circumstances changing or your prayers being answered in the way or timing you had hoped. Waiting can begin to feel long, lonely and exhausting. It can become difficult to hold on to the hope you once felt so strongly.

Keeping the hope alive

So how do we keep hope alive during seasons of waiting? How do we continue to grow spiritually beyond the Healing Mass? And how do we wait on God with faith, trust and perseverance?

Waiting on God is rarely easy, yet throughout Scripture we see that God remains faithful to those who trust Him.

"The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him." - Lamentations 3:25–26

The Bible doesn't pretend that waiting is easy. In fact, many of God's faithful people struggled with waiting. Rather than saying "waiting is easy," the Bible acknowledges that it can be difficult and painful, but it also teaches that God is at work during those seasons.

The Bible prepares us for what we can expect when waiting on God:

Waiting can often involve suffering

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry." - Psalm 40:1 (RSV-2CE)

Waiting requires courage

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" - Psalm 27:14 (RSV-2CE)

Waiting may weary us

God doesn't promise that waiting won't make us grow weary, but he promises to renew the strength of those who keep trusting Him.

"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles... they shall run and not be weary." - Isaiah 40:31 (RSV-2CE)

Waiting will test our faith

When in the middle of grief or desperation, waiting becomes an act of hope despite difficult circumstances. It is one of the ways our faith is tested and matured.

"Count it all joy... when you meet trials... for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." - James 1:2 - 4 (RSV-2CE)

Surrendering control

Waiting calls us to surrender control to God. Here James compares waiting to a farmer who plants a crop, but cannot force it to grow. There is surrendered trust to God involved, because the outcome is not under our control.

"Be patient, therefore, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord... You also, be patient. Establish your hearts." - James 5:7 - 8 (RSV-2CE)

You are not alone

Even the great figures of the Bible found waiting difficult:

• Abraham waited decades for the promised son.

• Joseph waited years in slavery and prison before God's plan became clear.

• David was anointed king but waited many years before he actually became king.

• Anna waited many years before seeing the Messiah.

• Even Jesus spent about 30 years in hidden life before beginning His public ministry.

A comforting reminder

Though you may grow weary as you wait on God, you are not alone. Jesus is with you every step of the way.

"Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28 - 30 (RSV-2CE)

The Bible doesn't dismiss the ache of waiting. It recognizes that waiting can be exhausting, uncertain and lonely. Yet throughout Scripture, waiting is often portrayed as a place where God deepens faith, forms character and prepares people for what He has promised - even when His timing is different from what we they expected.

So, what can we tangibly do in our everyday lives to help us in our seasons of wait?

Stay close to the Sacraments: grace strengthens us when our own strength is running low.

• Attend Mass regularly.

• Receive the Holy Eucharist and go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation when possible.

• God's grace strengthens us while we wait.

Spend time with Scripture: God's promises speak truth when fear speaks louder.

• Let God's promises shape your thoughts instead of your fears.

• The Psalms are especially comforting during seasons of waiting.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." - Psalm 119:105 (RSV-2CE)

Use sacramentals with faith: they remind us that God is near and invite us to deeper prayer.

• Pray the Rosary, wear the Brown Scapular or Miraculous Medal if you do, use holy water, holy oil or pray before a crucifix.

• Sacramentals don't replace faith; they help keep our hearts focused on Christ.

Keep a gratitude and prayer journal: it helps us notice God's faithfulness over time.

• Write down your prayers, the Scriptures that speak to you, and the ways God is already working.

• Looking back often reveals God's faithfulness in ways we couldn't see at the time.

Continue Serving and Trusting God: waiting doesn't mean putting your vocation or your life on hold.

• Continue to live the life God has called you to today - don't put your faith, relationships, or vocation on hold while you wait.

• Look for opportunities to serve others. Serving shifts our focus from what we lack to how God can work through us.

• Trust that God is still working, even when you cannot yet see the outcome.

If you find yourself in a season of waiting today, don't lose heart. The same God who was faithful to Abraham, Joseph, David and countless others is faithful to you. He sees every prayer, every tear and every act of trust.

While you wait, remain close to God through prayer, the Sacraments and His Word. One day you may look back and realise that although God seemed silent, He was quietly working all a

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