Meditation for Tuesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
(Rm 8:18-25; Lk 13:18-21)
Why is
it that things do not always go the way we want? Even as children of God, and
despite our detailed plans and visions, we often encounter obstacles along the
way of life. And these restrictions come to us as suffering! In itself,
suffering speaks the language of hopelessness, which is where its pain bites
the more. We want to be healthy, but sickness comes as obstacle; we want to
live, but death restricts our life, etc. And these restrictions are there in
every aspect of our lives. St Paul answers this troubling question by welcoming
suffering into creations itself. Since suffering has entered creation through
the fall of man, God, the author of life, did not remove the suffering, but
changed its hopelessness with hope.
God placed
a greater glory at the end of suffering! “I consider that the sufferings of
this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed
to us.” The obstacles and restrictions in life are no more ends in themselves,
but the processes of revealing the glory of God and the manifestation of the
victorious children of God. In other words, those obstacles turn our minds to God
and increase our hunger for His glory. “For the creation was subjected to
futility, not of its own will but by the will of Him who subjected it in hope;
because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage of decay and obtain
the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
God
does not allow human will to prevail; if we always get what we want then we do
not need His grace to live. And man will be worshiping himself and his
achievements. St explains that the whole creation is groaning in labor pains,
and even the children of God groan inwardly as they await the redemption. This is
the will of God since He used these inward groanings to retain us to Himself,
and to reveal His greater glory, such that we always look forward in hope for
His grace and redemption. “For in this hope we were saved.” This living hope
becomes the energy with which we confront the obstacles and restrictions of
each day. This hope is sown like a little mustard seed, which grows to yield the
Kingdom of God; “And birds of their made their nests in its branches.”
St Evaristus, pray for us.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa
Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter and Paul
Catholic Church
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Tuesday October 26th
2021.
www.soundofsilence.ng
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
