Presence that conquers the world

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary offer insight into the question posed in the first letter of John. “Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:5). The texts indicate that both Divine Immanence and Transcendence conquer the pitfalls of human life. The psalmist proclaims the peace and prosperity known by the nation Israel who attends to the blessings and word of God. The Transcendent is the one of strong arm and mighty hand to which the protection and prosperity of a nation is a Divine action. The Immanent is asked to heal in a personal encounter with the marginalized and Luke relates the intimate touching of body and Spirit in which the Divine chooses to assist humanity to conquer the individual challenges in the world.