Thursday, April 10
In today’s first reading from the book of Genesis, God makes a covenant with Abraham:
“You are to become the father of a host of nations…I will maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you are now staying, the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession…”
God promises fruitfulness and more to Abraham and his descendants—us—by extension. What we give back to God is our steadfast faith in Him, trusting in His Providence. Could we say of ourselves that we trust God well? Or are there times when we waver in that trust, like Peter walking on the water towards Jesus? It is said, “God is good all the time!” Do we truly believe that deep in our hearts? Even when our lives are falling apart, can we still say with confident joy, “God is good all the time”?
It can be difficult to see God’s goodness in moments of great pain and darkness. Yet, if we are honest with ourselves, when do we more often turn to God? In praise and thanksgiving during prosperous times? Or in supplication, maybe even anger, during periods of sorrow? At our most vulnerable is when we get intimate with God. We may cry and shout to God, “Why?” However, like Job, we may not get a clear answer. We are imperfect human beings living in an imperfect world. The question we should be asking is not “Why?” but rather “Who?” Therein lies our hope, one that transcends sentimental optimism. God is our hope.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux said, “When we surrender to discouragement or despair, it is usually because we are thinking too much of the past or the future.” If this sounds like you, perhaps it’s time to forgive someone who has hurt you—maybe even yourself for a past mistake—or stop worrying about what lies ahead. Yes, it’s easier said than done. However, trust in God’s patience and His transformative grace in your life.
God may not always grant us worldly goods or all our wishes in this life, but He promises the eternal reward of a place in His Kingdom that exceeds our greatest desires as long as we seek Him first above all things. As St. Thérèse said, “Jesus claims no more from us; He does not need our works, only our love.” It doesn’t matter what we do, be it small gestures or grand feats, but that we do them with great love for God and our neighbor. It sounds too good to be true, but being the all-loving God that He is, He gave us the better part of the deal. So don’t be afraid to shake on it because God’s word is as good as it gets. There’s no one you can trust more.
Marion Sarte volunteers as a pianist for her parish in California. In her free time, she enjoys exploring cities and escaping into new worlds through films.