Trusts in God’s Faithfulness

 

There is no where we can find joy except in God.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Thursday of 2nd Week of Advent B, and the Memorial of St. John of the Cross, December 14th, 2023
Texts: Isaiah 41:13-20; Psalm 145:1,9-13; Matthew 11:11-15 

There is no reason for a man who trusts in God’s faithfulness to fear, for nothing is beyond the power of God. The Psalm says, “His faithfulness is a shield and buckler” (91:4). St. John says, “he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Fear do break in when we confront our limitedness. We confront our limitedness when we fail to trust in God’s faithfulness. Trust in God’s faithfulness makes us aware of something greater than us. Such an awareness gives confidence and courage.  

Today’s first reading shows that the people of God once lapsed into fear. God had to remind them of His faithfulness. We read, “I, the  Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you, says the  Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.” To banish their fear He tells them that He will transform them. He says, “Behold, I will make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff”.  

Our joy is in God

We learn from the reading that we have to wait on God for help. It is God’s intervention that comes with joy. After He promised to transform them, He added, “And you shall rejoice in the  Lord; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.” There is no where we can find joy except in God; our joy is in God. He also assures us that He can meet our needs in dire time. He says, “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the  Lord will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.” 

God tells us, today, that He will come to us in a way that people will know He is the one at work. He puts it thus: “Men may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the  Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.” When all have failed we should not lose sight of God’s faithfulness; He is always with us.  

He who has ears to hear, let him hear

Jesus, in today’s gospel reading, also affirms the faithfulness of God. He says, “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’" God shows His faithfulness by fulfilling the promise to send Elijah before the day of the Lord.  

St. John of the Cross, whose memorial is today, was a reformer.  St. Theresa of Avila encouraged him to initiate reform in the Carmelite order. He left us the memory that reform comes with opposition and restriction. History has it that he suffered imprisonment and severe punishment at the hands of the Church authorities. The monks were not also kind to him. However, by the time he died they had recognised his holiness. He died December 14th, 1591, canonised in 1726 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1926. 

Prayer 

O God, who gave the Priest Saint John an outstanding dedication to perfect self-denial and love of the Cross, grant that, by imitating him closely at all times, we may come to contemplate eternally your glory. Amen (Collect) 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke