Passion And Dependency On God

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Wednesday of 15th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, July 14th, 2021
Texts: Ex. 3:1-6.9-12; Ps. 103:1-4.6-7; Mtt. 11:25-27
Two qualities are important either in working with God or in having relationship with Him. The first quality is passion while the second one is dependency on Him. Moses had these two qualities. He demonstrated his passion to save his people when he killed their oppressor, the Egyptian, and when he tried to reconcile two of his people. He recognised his unworthiness and need of help when he said, _“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”_ When we recognise our unworthiness and weakness, we will see the need to depend on God for wisdom and strength. God said to him thus:  “But I will be with you".
 One of these qualities is not enough. With passion alone we can make the work of God and His glory ours. Dependency on Him without passion will waste His grace. It is by passion that we put the grace into work and make it fruitful. By our dependency on Him we receive grace and strength from Him but without passion the grace becomes futile.
Those who feel self-sufficient such as the powerful, the strong, the worthy, the mighty, the influential, the wise, the understanding etc are dependent on themselves, instead of God.  They feel they are not in need of God. If God reveals the mystery to the wise, they will think it is by the strength of their wisdom and understanding that they get it. They feel they deserve it and by so doing they usurp God's glory.
God identifies with those who are in need of Him and will always rely on Him for strength. This is because God accomplishes His purpose and plan by His own wisdom and strength. Whenever we think that we can make it by ourselves, by our own wisdom and strength, we close the door to God's help and grace. Whenever we deny our faith, we trust in our wisdom and strength. This manifests in corruption and bribery, cheat, lies, misappropriation, immorality, abuse of authority, etc. Some people think it is by dressing provocatively that they get husbands. Decency has been forgotten in our age and time. Sexy has replaced the word decency. We now dress to be sexy, not to be decent. That is the consequence of depending on our own wisdom and might.
God identifies with the weak, the simple, the unknown, the unworthy etc. He finds pleasure working with them. This is clear in the word of Jesus Christ: _“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will."_  It is in our feeling of self-insufficiency that rely on God for sufficiency. It is in weakness that we recognise that sufficiency is from God. We are to humble ourselves before God and ask for his help.

Lord our God, thank You for always coming to the aid of those who feel the need of you; heal our pride that we may always recognise the need of You. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke