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Trust in His Perfect Plan

22/7/2022

A Reflection on the Gospel for July 24th, 2022:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke
11.1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

And Jesus said to the disciples, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And your friend answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’

“I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

“So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Is there any father among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give the child a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

I am someone who always needs to have a plan. I look at what is needed in any situation, put a plan in place, and set about getting those needs met. The problem with this is that those plans are usually brought about by my own human doing, so what happens when things are taken totally out of my control? Let’s face it. If I’m being honest, everything in life is out of my human control. My faith tells me that God has the ultimate plan, and that no matter what, it will be good.

This gospel reading confirms that understanding. In this teaching, Jesus reminds me how to pray. Praise God. Recognize His name and ask for what I need. Resist the temptation to think that I am in control and put all my cares in His hands. Rest in the assurance that He will give me what I need for this day. He then tells me to be persistent in asking. That is comforting because when I find myself succumbing to my human desire to control, I realize I can turn that into a desire to lean on God. This requires me to rely on faith – that which is unseen. So hard for my human nature to do, and so He goes on to remind me that if I just ask, my Heavenly Father will give me only good.

Sometimes good is masked as something that the world tells us is not good. Consider an unfavourable health diagnosis or scare. On the surface, this is not a good thing. It causes worry, illness, and unplanned disruption, and puts all our earthly plans on hold. Yet along with it comes the love of family and friends, support from a workplace, and newfound respect for a health system and the privileges we enjoy in this country.

I am in the midst of such a trial. I am waiting for the results of some pretty scary tests, and my humanness is kicking in daily. When I give in to it, I find myself scouring the internet for answers and sitting in worry. This leads to anxiety, tears, and uncertainty. Then I receive a gift like this gospel reading, or a hug from my beautiful granddaughter. My husband will wrap his arms around me and remind me that there is nothing in this world we can’t face together with God by our side. A friend will text and let me know I am being thought of and prayed for at precisely the moment I need to hear it. And then that peace that is undoubtedly the presence of the Holy Spirit floods through me, and I know in my soul that all will be well, regardless of the outcome of any medical test.

Let us pray. Lord, thank You for Your steadfast faithfulness. You who rebuke the winds and the sea and bring about calm. Steady my heart and refresh my faith in Your perfect plan. Jesus, I trust in You.

Sandy Graves

5 Comments

Watermark

21/7/2022

6 Comments

A Reflection on the Second Reading for July 24th, 2022:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Colossians
2.12-14

Brothers and sisters, when you were buried with Christ in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the Cross.

wa·ter·mark
noun

a faint design made in some paper during manufacture that is visible when held against the light and typically identifies the maker.

There was a shift in the air in the coming of the new covenant — from the covenant marked with a knife, to the covenant made in the water.

Consider a comparison:

Circumcision: Human hands wielding a knife, the cutting signifying a spiritual connection into a covenantal community of God. Men and boys brought forward on behalf of all. The flesh of fatherhood first sacrificed by one called the ‘father of multitudes on multitudes’ — Abraham gives up what he gets in return.

Baptism: Human hands carrying under the water, the movement enacting a spiritual connection into a covenantal relationship with God. Each brought forward — women, men, children — becoming a community because One died on behalf of all. The flesh of life itself sacrificed by the only one who is Life — Jesus gives up what He gives out freely in return.

Lord, help me to live in my baptism. Help me to leave behind my law.

These are the places I travel between
Buried and Raised
Lost and Found
Dead and Alive
Fettered and Free

There was this list.
A record of each wrong.
I would take it from my pocket
Pull out a pencil stub
Add to it
And stow it away close to my heart.
Each item something I wanted to fix
To find my value.
Some items I could cross off
Some wrongs I could remove
Only to add more
To the unending elongating list
I kept on me at all times.

Then You came.
Held out Your hand
Waiting for me
To join You in the river
To let myself be lowered
To let the current carry my paper
Into Your palm.
To let You take the list to the Cross
Destroying its details in Your death.
You raising me with Your life
So I can breathe.

So why did I keep the pencil?

I find myself drifting
Betimes
Back into keeping a list.
Looking to earn
The joy of coming close.

Help me to leave behind my law
That leads to a place of
Buried
Lost
Dead
Fettered

Help me to join You in the water
To come to a place of
Raised
Found
Alive
Free

Let me live in the watermark made by my baptism.

Noreen Smith

6 Comments

Friendship & Love

20/7/2022

2 Comments

A Reflection on the Psalm for July 24th, 2022:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Psalm 138

R. On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me.

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the Angels I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness.

R. On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me.

For you have exalted your name and your word above everything. On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.

R. On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me.

For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies.

R. On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me.

You stretch out your hand and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

R. On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me.

When reading scripture, I am always struck by how deeply God loves the lowly. He loves us all, of course, but He seems to have a special place in His heart for the poor, the weak, the struggling. The more someone in scripture is having a hard time, the more God is present. The psalmist cries out to God and hears from Him on the very same day.

This has not always been my experience. There are times where I’ve been able to rest in God’s comfort during difficulties and strife, but I have to admit that there have also been times where I’ve felt like I was struggling alone. I vividly remember many years ago, after experiencing heartbreak, praying and calling on God and feeling as though my prayers went unanswered or ignored. I didn’t have any of the peace or trust the psalmist enjoys.

What changed? Friends came to the rescue. It was clear that God was working through those who loved me. From long phone calls to emergency chocolate drop-offs, I experienced God’s goodness in the love of my friends. When my grief made me push others away, I felt alone; when I listened to God’s call and surrounded myself with support, His presence and warmth was palpable.

This is no surprise. We are made in God’s image, and our God is fundamentally relational – He is one God in three persons. The friendship and love between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are at the core of who God is. Each of us were designed by God in an act of love and joy, out of His desire to know and love us. Is it any wonder that my isolation felt lonely? We were simply not made to be alone.

I see this hunger for community and belonging everywhere. We are blessed with technology that lets us connect to one another (I love how God uses the internet and social media to build community within Ora’s ministry, for example!), but in our day-to-day lives, many of us feel like we’re figuring it out all on our own. God made us for relationship, not isolation – relationship with Him, of course, and relationship with each other. Life gets busy and I find it easy to put off seeing friends a little longer, and a little longer... But these relationships are at the core of our faith – God calls us to gather together and shows us His love through the ways we love one another.

This week, I encourage you to reach out. If you are feeling lonely or isolated, pray for the grace to ask for help – never easy, but always worth it. And if you have a friend or loved one who is going through a hard time, pray for God to work through you to bring His love to that person this week.

Jenna Young

2 Comments

Census-Related Questions

19/7/2022

1 Comment

A Reflection on the First Reading for July 24th, 2022:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Genesis
18.20-32

The Lord said: “How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know.”

So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham came near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.”

Abraham answered, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

Again Abraham spoke to the Lord, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.”

Then Abraham said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” The Lord answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”

Abraham said, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” The Lord answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.”

Then Abraham said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” The Lord answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

I wonder what the population of Sodom was at the time of these events. What percentage of the people was Abraham counting on being found righteous to save the city? And, in connection with this, how many righteous people would God find here in Halifax? If Abraham were to plead with God on our behalf, what number should he start with? Are we hoping for ten percent? One percent? What kind of percentage is enough, and what kind of expectations would we have for our city, our province, our country?

And then, of course, the harder question: Who counts as a righteous person? Would I be one of the ten needed to save the city? “Righteous” has somewhat negative connotations in our current common language; it makes us think of the Pharisees and a sort of “holier-than-thou” attitude. So maybe it would be better to say “holy” instead. How many holy people are there in Halifax? Can any of us lay claim to that title for ourselves, when we daily pray to our Father and ask Him to “lead us not into temptation”?

Luckily, the answer to all my ridiculous questions is very simple, and we all know it already. How many righteous people are required to save anyone? Only one, and He has already done all the saving required. Salvation doesn’t depend on my being righteous or even being holy. It depends on Jesus Christ, the perfectly righteous one, who died for us. In looking at His Son, God the Father has mercy on all of us, and for the sake of this One, He will never destroy us, but will raise us up to joy and freedom we can only imagine.

Sr. Gemma MacLeod

1 Comment

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Trust in His Perfect Plan

A Reflection on the Gospel for July 24th, 2022:​Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Watermark

A Reflection on the Second Reading for July 24th, 2022:Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Friendship & Love

A Reflection on the Psalm for July 24th, 2022:​Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Census-Related Questions

A Reflection on the First Reading for July 24th, 2022:​Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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A Reflection on the Gospel for July 24th, 2022:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Reflection on the Second Reading for July 24th, 2022:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Reflection on the Psalm for July 24th, 2022:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Reflection on the First Reading for July 24th, 2022:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time