The similarities between the several spiritual topics, such as, prayer, gifts of the Holy Spirit, Communion of Saints and the responsive Power of God, as compared to the attributes of a computer and the Internet are insightful. Although hardly any analogy is 100% accurate, item for item, or without any ifs, ands, and buts, those that do match can be very explanatory and helpful. There is no particular importance to the order of presentation and it must be recognized and acknowledged that man-made computers and man-designed Internet are but a shadow of God and things spiritual. Much of this is personal observation and experience, or lack of it, as regards computers and the In­ternet. The experience of God and related topics is His gift to me, and obviously also goes a long way beyond my understanding.

To begin with, today’s computers are powerful gatherers and producers of information. They are mind-boggling tools for communication, planning, recording and figuring. All of which, God is the supreme Master.
Both could be described as miraculous by mere man. Only the most technically of minded men and women can easily access all of the information and tools available through the computer operation. This is evidenced by the size and complexity of the manuals which accompany the software and hardware of the computer. God has authored a “Manual” for operation within His system. In the Old and New Testaments we have the basis of the statement, “All Scripture is good for reproof and instruction.” The Bible is the history of God and development of man’s progress. This data has been accurately ‘saved and stored’ until we access it for our current program.

The question is often asked, “How do the Saints and Blessed Virgin hear and come to know of our prayers which we direct to them?” The question recognizes that only God is Omniscient (that is, All-knowing) and Omni­present (being everywhere at one time to everyone). We believe in faith that these prayers are heard, and we accept it as a mystery. Never-the-less, we humanly look for explanations. Viola! the possibility of the Internet comparison. When a computer user sends an “E-mail”, in effect, it goes out into cyber-space and just sits out there electronically until the intended recipient allows , or is able to receive it. Since those in Heaven are not restricted by earthly time measurements, God knows, because He knows, that the ‘recipients’ will intercede when they access the prayer. God in His miraculous way, can and does respond to that Saint’s intercession ‘in time’, or at our time of the need.

An author came to a sobering conclusion as he started to write a book about “The Magnitude and Majesty of God.” He was suddenly confronted with the realization that, “who was he, to think that he could describe the in­describable?” He felt that it would be the height of human pride to place himself in the position above God where he could see and understand all that God is. When we hear or read about the potential of computers, it is almost beyond our ability to imagine. Yet, just a few short years ago, ‘virtual reality’, medical operations performed by computer analysis, voice synthezation, memory capabilities almost beyond limit, were but words by the dreamers. Today, they all exist. As with God, all of the future power and knowledge and tools are already present, we simply have not reached a point of utilizing them. The comparison to prayer is fairly apparent. “Ask and you shall receive, Seek and you shall find . . . . “ When I look at the explanatory manuals for the computer and its programs, I can acknowledge that they are great tools and extremely useful (especially for some specific people) and yet, I am content to ‘word process’, store some data, once in a while, create some business graphs, and even, on occasion, entertain myself with a game or two. Then some one will tell about using their computer to design a project, or address envelopes, or make overlays, etc. Then I remember how and when I could have saved myself and lot time and effort and probably done a far better job, but I just never got around to learning or exploring how much the computer would allow me do, if I were but to avail myself to it. Sound familiar? Scripture says, “You have not, because you ask not”! And again, we have not because we pray amiss. That is, praying perhaps not in the best or right way, or with an acceptable atti­tude. God, of course, knows our needs and that about which we are praying. It is when we are not diligent and/or sincere, that we could understand, upon reflection, that in some cases, He loves us enough, that he does not answer the prayer in the way in which we want to have it answered. When I do something like that on the computer, I get the familiar, “File Not Found”, etc. That doesn’t have anything to do with justice or love, but the message is the same, “Come to Me with the dignity that I desire and deserve”.

In summary, God knows exactly what we need at all times and at any particular time. His resources are at our beck and call when we are ‘called and serving according to His purposes’. It is up to us to study and understand how to access and avail ourselves to all that He offers us. In a similar way, computer programs have the capabilities to help us in computer related tasks if we take the time to study them and use them. When I apply these two avail­abilities of ‘power’ to my own situation, a sort of Scripture verse comes to mind, “To whom much has been given, much has been rejected”!

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