Monday, November 11, 2013

Awe and wonder

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary present the tension between attention to detail and discipline and the big picture of Divine Presence which may incorrectly cause us to be negligent about the “small stuff”. Which attitude about God do we adopt? The Creator who fills the universe and sustains the processes which unfold for people at the level of nations and communities is the One who knows when I sit down and when I rise up. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me (Psalm 139:6). Friar Jude Winkler comments that one of the last books in the Catholic and Orthodox canon of the Old Testament gives advice to rulers on living the good life within the Spirit of God. Sin and deceit are contrary to that Spirit and the full wisdom offered to us as gift from God is prevented from full action through our decisions to serve self instead of attending to Wisdom. Joe Zaborowski of CreightonUniversity takes comfort in the response of Pope Francesco identifying himself as a sinner. The faith which Luke has Jesus describe as capable of moving mountains is gifted to us. Friar Jude reminds us that our response to this faith is to trust God and others. The lack of this trust and being overcome by our own selfish action may lead us to offer temptation or as Don Schwager notes from the Greek, scandal to those who have not been gifted with the Wisdom in which we are overcome by the wonderful Presence of God. Do we continue our journey focused on the Big picture overcome in awe or on the little ones who look for guides from those they trust? Yes!

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