In the first reading today, we hear from the Book of Wisdom which states: “Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the Lord intends?” Many of us ponder over these words, coming to the conclusion: who indeed? Yet, God has revealed His desires and intentions for each one of us – through the Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Tradition. In the Bible, we can attain God’s plan of salvation, which has been fulfilled through the Paschal Mystery of Jesus.
See, Jesus has made God’s intention readily available to us, and every Sunday we hear a bit of this great story. The Gospel writers have provided us the words of Jesus, His actions, and His love. I’ve heard it said that Jesus’ mission, in addition to His saving acts, was to show us the Father. We may have a confused idea of who God the Father is because we may relate the words and actions of our earthly fathers with that of our Heavenly Father. While I have been blessed to have a wonderful earthly father, not all of us has been so blessed. If we have seen or witnessed a father who is not so loving and gentle, we may struggle to understand and believe our Heavenly Father’s loving ways.
So, what is His intention for each one of us? It is that we are called to live eternal life with Him in Heaven. After our time on earth is over, we will each be judged according to His just law. If we have lived in union with Him, obeying and respecting His Law, we will be granted the great gift of eternal lif; however, if we reject Him and His Law, we will spend eternity in Hell. Note that it’s our decision to reject Him that sends us to Hell, not that of God. It’s really that simple, however, we know living according to His Law is not always so easy. But the great blessing He gives us is the sacraments, which allow us to come back into union with Him if we have sinned and strayed from our union.
Each Sunday we gather to give thanks to God for all His blessings. Today let’s reflect on the great gift of Jesus, who has made our salvation possible and has opened our minds so we can know the Father. Let’s pray for everyone who has not accepted this message of love and hope, praying that they will open their hearts and minds to God’s counsel and conceive of the Lord’s intentions.
Deacon Ray
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