Lavish generosity and awe-inspiring majesty. The first reading from the book of Sirach offers a view of eternal wisdom that is poured forth without restraint upon all the Lord’s works, “upon every living thing according to his bounty.” Gifts measured out according to the goodness of God’s heart.
Fear, failure, arguing, disbelief, scarcity, frustration… The second reading, instead, paints for us a picture of ourselves when we forget who God is and all that God in his providence lavishes on us. When we live according to the fear in our heart.
Jesus bridges the gap between God’s gracious giving and our fearful hoping against hope that God might be able to do something for us…or maybe he can’t…or won’t….
Take a moment. Touch the vulnerability of your own heart. Each of us has been hurt. Each of us in some way has been disappointed by others…even by others in the Church. Maybe we came to these others requesting help or healing or mercy or understanding. And they, like the Apostles in the Gospel, couldn’t respond to our need. They didn’t know what to do. They didn’t have within them the power of the Holy Spirit through a life of union with God. They weren’t schooled in prayer and fasting.
Jesus enters the human drama of each of our lives with majesty, with awe-inspiring authority and dominion, with lavishness and generosity. It is Jesus who assures us that death doesn’t have the last word. And neither does sin. Or betrayal. Or darkness. Or fear. Or any other of the vulnerabilities that plague human hearts and relationships. Jesus is the power of love who keeps us through every last detail of our lives. With Jesus, we need never fear our utter poverty and painful need of him.
All we need do is believe that “everything is possible to one who has faith.”
Kathryn James Hermes, FSP, is the author of the newly released title: Reclaim Regret: How God Heals Life’s Disappointments, by Pauline Books and Media. An author and spiritual mentor, she offers spiritual accompaniment for the contemporary Christian’s journey towards spiritual growth and inner healing. She is the director of My Sisters, where people can find spiritual accompaniment from the Daughters of St. Paul on their journey.
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