Faith and Wonder

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to ponder the effect of our faith in being “fearfully and wonderfully” made as children of God.

Wonderfully Made

The Reading from the Book of Wisdom is an Exhortation to Righteousness, the Key to Life.

* [1:1–6:21] The reward is the gift of immortality, to the righteous (1:15; 3:1–3), but not to the wicked (5:1–13). Contrasts between these two groups dominate chaps. 1–5. The philosophy of the wicked and their persecution of the righteous are dramatically presented in 1:16–2:24. New light is shed on the suffering of the righteous (3:1–9), childlessness (3:13–15), and premature death (4:7–16)—in contrast to the fate of the wicked (3:10–12, 16–19; 4:3–6, 17–20).

* [1:1] Righteousness: not merely the cardinal virtue of justice (cf. 8:7), but the universal moral quality which is the application of wisdom to moral conduct. You who judge: “judges” and “kings” (cf. 6:1) are addressed in accordance with the literary customs of the times and with the putative Solomonic authorship, but the real audience is the Jewish community.

* [1:4] In these verses personified Wisdom is identified with the spirit of the Lord; so also in 9:17.

* [1:5] Discipline: here and elsewhere, another name for Wisdom. (Wisdom, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 139 is a hymnic meditation on God’s omnipresence and omniscience.

* [Psalm 139] A hymnic meditation on God’s omnipresence and omniscience. The psalmist is keenly aware of God’s all-knowing gaze (Ps 139:1–6), of God’s presence in every part of the universe (Ps 139:7–12), and of God’s control over the psalmist’s very self (Ps 139:13–16). Summing up Ps 139:1–16, 17–18 express wonder. There is only one place hostile to God’s rule—wicked people. The psalmist prays to be removed from their company (Ps 139:19–24).

* [139:2] When I sit and stand: in all my physical movement.

* [139:9] Take the wings of dawn: go to the extremities of the east. Beyond the sea: uttermost bounds of the west; the sea is the Mediterranean. (Psalms, PSALM 139 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke warns against temptations to Sin and presents a Saying of Faith.

* [17:3] Be on your guard: the translation takes Lk 17:3a as the conclusion to the saying on scandal in Lk 17:1–2. It is not impossible that it should be taken as the beginning of the saying on forgiveness in Lk 17:3b–4. (Luke, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB, n.d.)

Barbara Dilly comments that while being without sin is impossible for us, choosing a life of seeking wisdom is not so difficult to do. While sin inevitably occurs, and we are in bondage to it by human nature, we do not have to live under its power. Through our faith, we can take the high road.

These words of hope are the most central to my faith as I tend to be a person of action. A lot of people of little faith feel safer just judging others. But that is not how we increase our faith. It happens through real interaction with the world and through daily discernment of the sort we read in Psalm 139. Rather than judging others, let us let God examine us at the end of the day. Where do we sit and where do we stand in the everlasting way? I pray that today we will read Psalm 139 as a prayer of discernment. And we can pray often throughout the day, “Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way!” (Dilly, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “To increase faith is to strengthen it by the Holy Spirit,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"They ask, 'Add faith to us.' They do not ask simply for faith, for perhaps you might imagine them to be without faith. They rather ask Christ for an addition to their faith and to be strengthened in faith. Faith partly depends on us and partly is the gift of the divine grace. The beginning of faith depends on us and our maintaining confidence and faith in God with all our power. The confirmation and strength necessary for this comes from the divine grace. For that reason, since all things are possible with God, the Lord says that all things are possible for him who believes (Mark 9:23). The power that comes to us through faith is of God. Knowing this, blessed Paul also says in the first epistle to the Corinthians, 'For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, and to another faith in the same Spirit' (1 Corinthians 12:8). You see that he has placed faith also in the catalogue of spiritual graces. The disciples requested that they might receive this from the Savior, contributing also what was of themselves. By the descent upon them of the Holy Spirit, he granted it to them after the fulfillment of the dispensation. Before the resurrection, their faith was so feeble that they were liable even to the charge of being 'little of faith'." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILIES 113-16) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Wisdom 1:1-7 considers an unsettling thought! God sees into our “inmost self” and is the “sure observer” of even the deepest secrets of our hearts (Wisdom 1:6).

“Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence where can I flee? (Psalm 139:7). Lord, you have been with me, through all my best days and worst days. Even when I feel most alone, you are still with me, offering me your unfailing help! Lord, I can’t begin to comprehend your greatness! All I can do is stop and ponder, speechless with wonder and awe!”

“Lord, thank you for your amazing ever-present love!” (Meditation on Wisdom 1:1-7, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that the Book of Wisdom presents the understanding of Israel as more profound than Greek philosophy that was dominant at the time. Lady Wisdom leads us to a knowledge of God to make a choice between Wisdom and Folly that causes us to do wrong things. In Luke, three sayings today warn against causing  a little one, or the anawim, those with no power, to sin. We need to care about our example. We are called to forgive the “perfect number” of times with no limit. We want to heal the brokenness. Friar Jude reminds us of the Faith that we have received and when we respond, it will change our hearts and the world.

Fr. Mike draws our attention to Mary. He clarifies the difference between Zechariah's response and Mary's response to the angel Gabriel, and also explains why Mary is the Ark of the new Covenant. We learn that through Mary, God begins to fulfill his promises to the people of Israel. Today's readings are Luke 1-2, and Proverbs 25:24-26.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces contemplative author and artist Christine Valters Paintner who expands how we understand sacramentality—not only as something we experience in church rituals, but also a way of perceiving the divine presence in all things. A sense of sacramentality, rooted in the Incarnation, extends our vision out to the world so that everything can be a sacrament, meaning every person, creature, plant, and object can be an opportunity to encounter something of the Divine Presence in the world. Sacramentality is a quality present in creation that opens us up to the Sacred Presence in all things. Sacraments reveal grace. 

This discovery that every creature and every created thing can be a window of revelation into the divine nature is an invitation to fall more and more in love with the world. To see that teachers of grace exist everywhere means to bring a sense of reverence to the way we walk in the world. When we encounter nature as sacrament, we can no longer objectify it. We can instead create the circumstances that nurture and nourish this kind of vision…. Sacramental vision means not only that we grow in our love of God’s ways in the world but also that we grow in our sense of kinship with creation….  (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the insight of the Spirit to understand our response to the Love of omnipresent and omniscient God, since our time in the womb.

References

Dilly, B. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-november-10-2025 

Luke, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/17?1 

Meditation on Wisdom 1:1-7. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/11/10/1426569/ 

Psalms, PSALM 139 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/139?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/recognizing-grace/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lord Jesus Increase Our Faith. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Wisdom, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/1?1 

Protection Mystery

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite contemplation of the events on our journey where we have witnessed the mystery of Divine Protection.

The reading from the Book of Exodus presents the conquest of Canaan as a reward of fidelity.

* [23:21] My authority is within him: lit., “My name is within him.”1 

Psalm 91 is an assurance of God’s Protection.

* [91:1] The shelter of the Most High: basically “hiding place” but in the Psalms a designation for the protected Temple precincts, cf. Ps 27:5; 31:21; 61:5. The shade of the Almighty: lit., “the shadow of the wings of the Almighty,” cf. Ps 17:8; 36:8; 57:2; 63:8. Ps 91:4 makes clear that the shadow is an image of the safety afforded by the outstretched wings of the cherubim in the holy of holies.2 

•  This psalm is one that I have prayed for people who are enduring particular hardships like incarceration or persecution for their beliefs. The images in the psalm invoke hope and deepen faith in God who responds to His children in need.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus uses children to define true greatness as he reminds us of the Protection of God with them.

* [18:10] Their angels in heaven…my heavenly Father: for the Jewish belief in angels as guardians of nations and individuals, see Dn 10:13, 20–21; Tb 5:4–7; 1QH 5:20–22; as intercessors who present the prayers of human beings to God, see Tb 13:12, 15. The high worth of the little ones is indicated by their being represented before God by these heavenly beings.3 

Luis Rodriguez, S.J. comments that, although it has never been defined by the Church as Catholic doctrine, devotion to the Guardian Angels has a long tradition in the Church.

But there is a scene in the very beginning of the book of Genesis [4: 8], where Cain, who had just murdered his brother Abel and was being questioned by God about it, responds with a question of his own: Am I my brother’s keeper? In a way, he was telling God that he did not consider himself his brother’s “guardian angel”. God did not answer Cain’s question directly, but God’s reproach and condemnation of Cain’s deed amounts to an affirmative answer. We may not consider ourselves our brothers’ or sisters’ “guardian angels”, yet we do have some responsibility not only not to hurt them, but also to help them in their various needs to the extent that we can.4 

Don Schwager cites John Chrysostom (347-407 AD), Basil the Great (329-379 AD) and the Gospel of (Luke 22:43) and (Matthew 25:31) noting that the angels show us that this universe which God created is not just materialistic. He quotes “Their angels behold the face of my Father in heaven,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).

"It is not right to despise anyone who believes in Christ. A believer is called not only a servant of God but also a son though the grace of adoption, to whom the kingdom of heaven and the company of the angels is promised. And rightly the Lord adds, 'For I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.' How much grace the Lord has toward each one believing in him he himself declares when he shows their angels always beholding the face of the Father who is in heaven. Great is the grace of the angels toward all who believe in Christ. Finally, the angels carry their prayers to heaven. Hence the word of Raphael to Tobias: 'When you prayed along with your daughter-in-law Sara, I offered the memory of your prayer in the sight of God (Deutero-canonical book of Tobit 12:12). Around them there is also the strong guard of the angels; they help each of us to be free from the traps of the enemy. For a human in his weakness could not be safe amid so many forceful attacks of that enemy if he were not strengthened by the help of the angels." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 57.1)
[Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."]5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 18:1-5, 10 offers that “It’s a Wonderful Life” movie’s wide appeal may stem in part from the fact that it reflects two basic truths of our faith: that guardian angels exist and that they play an important role in our lives. Many people can tell amazing stories of how their guardian angel came to their rescue.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) had a name for guardian angels that seems especially appropriate—he called them our “bodyguards.” Bernard wrote, “We need only to follow them, remain close to them, and we will dwell in the protection of the Most High God. So as often as you sense the approach of any grave temptation or some crushing sorrow hangs over you, invoke your protector, your leader, your helper in every situation” (Sermons on Psalm 91, Sermon 12).6 

•  Certainly I have had experience of invoking the help of God and knowing the Presence in difficult situations. I reflect on the times in life where my protection from taking the wrong path or making the decision that would be a move away from relationship with God only became known to me by looking into the past. In many ways, my situation today has been protected in a mystery that has yet to yield “Why?”

Friar Jude Winkler shares that the Gospel of Matthew in which who is greatest must become like child in simple trusting and accepting God’s will. The Idea of the Guardian angels is our constant protection by a spiritual creature. Friar Jude reminds us angels show what is the right path to follow.

A post by Franciscan Media on the Feast of the Guardian Angels suggests that perhaps no aspect of Catholic piety is as comforting to parents as the belief that an angel protects their little ones from dangers real and imagined. Yet guardian angels are not only for children. Their role is to represent individuals before God, to watch over them always, to aid their prayer, and to present their souls to God at death.

Devotion to the angels began to develop with the birth of the monastic tradition. Saint Benedict gave it impetus and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, the great 12th-century reformer, was such an eloquent spokesman for the guardian angels that angelic devotion assumed its current form in his day... Devotion to the angels is, at base, an expression of faith in God’s enduring love and providential care extended to each person day in and day out.7 

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/SOD-1002-FeastoftheGuardianAngels-790x480.jpg

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, continues with his Franciscan brother and long-time friend Father John Quigley’s summary of Franciscanism.

There are many lively legends about Francis and Clare [which soon took philosophical and theological weight through luminaries like theologian Saint Bonaventure and John Duns Scotus]. These seminal stories and the insights that arise from them have given emphasis to specific themes in Franciscan philosophy and theology. They include the idea that Jesus did not assume flesh to correct Adam and Eve’s sin; rather, Jesus would have taken flesh whether we had sinned or not. Love by its very nature wants to be one with its beloved, so our salvation has been announced and realized in an Incarnate God. The suffering and death of Jesus confirms for us how deep and committed is God’s love in the Incarnation.(Fr Richard’s comments are in [ ])[The Franciscan view is that Creation is the first Incarnation. The Christ Mystery was the blueprint of reality from the very start (John 1:1). Francis saw all of creation, including all humans, as part of the one family of God. That’s why he called them Brother Sun and Sister Moon. Duns Scotus gave this a theological explanation by saying, in essence, that God’s first “idea” was to pour out divine, infinite love into finite, visible forms. The Big Bang is the scientific name for that first idea, “Christ” is Christianity’s theological name, and it is all about Love flowing outward in all directions.]8 

Our spiritual experience connects us to others who share these experiences or who need to know of the mystery of the interaction of God with His children.

References

1	(n.d.). Exodus, chapter 23 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved October 2, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/exodus/23
2	n.d.). Psalms, chapter 91 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved October 2, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/91
3	(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 18 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved October 2, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/18:19
4	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). The Holy Guardian Angels (Memorial) - Mass Readings and .... Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/10/02/
7	(n.d.). Feast of the Guardian Angels - Franciscan Media. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/feasaint-of-the-guardian-angels/
8	(2019, October 2). To Live Lightly — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://cac.org/to-live-lightly-2019-10-02/