The Wisdom of Divine Providence

Meditation for Thursday of the 22^nd Week in Ordinary Time
(1 Cor 3:18-23; Lk 5:1-11)

In the first reading, St Paul reminds us that the wisdom of this world is folly with God. If we approach God with human way of reasoning without surrendering to His divine wisdom, we will be deceiving ourselves, and make it easy for others to deceive us. One of the easiest ways people are deceived today is in their understanding of prosperity and divine providence. There is this human calculation that most modern ‘church owners’ teach their members, making them believe that prayer is a sort of ‘prosperity bank’, where they can go to cash out wealth and progress. They make it look as if prayer is an investment for earthly wealth and wellbeing.

 

As we meditate on the gospel, we see how divine wisdom is displayed in the abundance of harvest granted to Peter and his companions. And that divine grace that enriched Simon and his companions is very much available for us today. These fishermen worked all night but caught nothing. It was like a wrong investment, a wasted effort! In our society today, someone might say they were bewitched with bad luck. In their disappointment, they started washing their nets to go home. Then, Jesus used one of their boats to preach. Though they did not know Him at that time, Peter and his companions were still kindhearted to allow Jesus use their boat as much as he wanted. That means they did not allow their ‘failed mission’ to define their disposition and behavior towards others.

 

After He finished preaching, Jesus said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” These gracious words are what we hope to receive from Jesus as we step forward into this new month, and as we carry out our daily responsibilities. Peter, who believed in hard work, said to Jesus, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” He went back to the sea and caught a lot of fish. This great harvest is the fruit of divine providence, which many of us are praying for. As we meditate on this event, we come to understand that the great abundance that Jesus bestowed on them was not given arbitrarily, nor was it given contrary to the order of nature. The blessing was bestowed upon their expertise as professional and committed fishermen. Secondly, it was built upon their good moral behavior. Thirdly, it was bestowed upon their faith and obedience to Jesus as the ‘Master.’

 

According to the first reading, “Let no one deceive himself.” If you are praying for a breakthrough in your finances, are you working hard in your enterprise? Do you have integrity and moral uprightness? Do you have genuine faith in Jesus, or, you believe in Jesus for your own interests? Like Peter and his companions, you shall be astonished at the great abundance the Lord has prepared for you. And after receiving these blessings, “They left everything and followed Him.” Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Thursday September 1^st, 2022.

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