DAILY GRACE
October 23, 2020, Friday of the 29th Week of Ordinary Time
Scripture: Luke 12:54-56
He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, “It is going to rain”; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, “There will be scorching heat”; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Meditation:
“‘. . . why do you not know how to interpret the present time?“
I think most of us can relate to what Jesus is saying here. It is fairly easy to notice the differences in nature and interpret them to know what the weather will be like. Not only is weather easy to observe, it’s also a safe topic. It’s interesting that weather comes up so frequently in friendly conversations. Human nature hasn’t changed all that much in two thousand years. What would it take to interpret the present time, coronavirus and all? A discerning heart and the ability to see the bigger picture outside of ourselves.
Perhaps an example taken from another part of the Bible will help. In the Pentateuch we see God actively involved in the lives of the patriarchs. Because they lived with this awareness of God’s activity, figures like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph could interpret their “present time” in a discerning way, aware of God’s call through the events of their daily lives. Joseph, in particular, stands out for me. What more painful circumstance can anyone face than being sold into slavery by one’s own brothers? Yet Joseph discerns the larger picture —- a picture that includes God’s plan. “God, therefore, sent me on ahead of you to ensure for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives in an extraordinary deliverance. So it was not really you but God who had me come here” (Gen. 45:7-8).
Unfortunately, many contemporaries of Jesus failed to realize how God was present among them in his Son. We, too, can fail to recognize God’s immediate presence with us. Discernment, then, means allowing God to reveal to us how he is working through our lives and the lives of others to affect the flow of human events.
Prayer
Father, like those to whom Jesus spoke, I miss the meaning of a lot that happens in my life. I find it hard to understand the events in my life and in the world in a way that allows you to communicate their meaning. So I can miss your presence in my life and in the world. May your Holy Spirit help me to understand, so that your plan may be accomplished through me.
Contemplation
Lord, may I see in order to interpret the present time.