Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! – Romans 11:33

       I love that God’s dreams for me are far bigger than the biggest dreams I have for myself. I always get excited when I finally understand the reason for a certain detour I had to take, or a certain roadblock I had to overcome. I always experience a light bulb moment and I go, “Ah! So that’s why that had to happen and why I didn’t end up having those.”

       Thank God for the depth of His wisdom and knowledge! He has already made contingency plans for us even before we make the mistakes, and He has already polished the very best of the plans we have for ourselves before we even begin putting them into action. We only know too well how our foolproof plans go wrong, but thankfully we have a God who’s waiting in the wings to solve our failures.

Reflection: Are you having trouble making plans at the moment? Why don’t you start by lifting them up to God?

Thank You, Lord, for Your infinite wisdom that outdoes my finite own.

St. Bartholomew, Apostle, pray for us.

One of the images of leadership is that of a father. A father cares for his family and protects them against danger. All leaders, especially spiritual leaders, should remember this, as to abandon one’s flock is the worst thing a leader can do. It is a bit like the captain of a sinking ship — he must be the last one to leave the ship. Let us pray that our leaders will always consider the care of their flock as their highest priority.

15 Thus says the Lord to Shebna, master of the palace: 19 “I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station. 20 On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah; 21 I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22 I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open. 23 I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family.”

R: Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; 2 I will worship at your holy temple. (R) I will give thanks to your name, because of your kindness and your truth. 3 When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me. (R) 6 The Lord is exalted, yet the lowly he sees, and the proud he knows from afar. 8 Your kindness, O Lord, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands. (R)

These words of Paul indicate a heart rejoicing in the wisdom and ways of God. Given the context of these words, there may also be a slight frustration that he, Paul, does not understand how God will rectify the situation that many of the Jews reject the Gospel. This is Paul’s great dilemma in chapters 9-11 of Romans. He cannot understand why the Jews, of all people, reject the Gospel. Is it not plain to them what God is doing?

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor? 35 Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid? 36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

This is the ultimate question that determines our response to God’s call. If we do not believe Jesus is the Son of God, Redeemer and Savior, then we are going to ignore the Gospels and live our lives without its revelation and graces. If we believe, then the possibilities of a life of faith are endless. If we do not believe, we will be eternally frustrated and unfulfilled; if we believe, we will be eternally content and fulfilled.

You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

13 Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. 

think:  Let us pray that our leaders will always consider the care of their flock as their highest priority.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Job 38-42

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT JESUS IS?

This is a classic question about faith that will say a lot about our relationship with Jesus. Anyone who desires to be a disciple of Jesus must answer this question and then make sure that his life reflects his response. There are many aspects to any relationship, and the same is true for our relationship with Jesus. Depending on the individual, the focus could be one of many things and that focus will reflect the style and character of his relationship with God.

       In the same way, our life experiences shape not only our image of God but our character as well. It is important to recognize this as it helps us develop the necessary compassion in our relationships with others. If someone grows up without a father-figure, perhaps due to death, then it will be difficult for him to understand someone who talks about the Father’s love for His children. We need to be compassionate and wise enough to recognize this kind of difficulty that we will surely meet in our ministry.

       Many of the events that influence our formative years are out of our control. They happen to us and are not caused by us in any way, shape or form. This may not sound just, but it is a fact of life. And it should enlighten us and make us aware of how our actions may unwittingly affect the lives of others. Let us be a little more discerning of the moral decisions we make. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

REFLECTION QUESTION: Jesus stands before us every day and asks us how we want to relate with Him. What is your answer to that question?

Holy Spirit, help me to open my heart and mind to the will of God for my life. Help me to understand how He wants to relate to me that I may make a better response to Him.