Friday July 14, 2023

“Keep your eyes on Jesus. The right moment will come. In the meantime, closely follow your Good Shepherd.”

Good News Reflection for:

Friday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin
July 14, 2023

Today’s Prayer:

Thank You Lord, for Your Holy Spirit who is always working in my life. Grant me the grace of persevering in the trials and difficult moments I have to live. With my eyes on You, may I always walk giving thanks to You and praising Your Name. Amen.

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Today’s Readings:

Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30
Ps 37:3-4,18-19,27-28,39-40
Matthew 10:16-23
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071423.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-july-14-2023

Until the right moment comes, trust!

We are so impatient. We want to know right now that everything worrying us is going to turn out okay. Whatever relationship we’re struggling with, whatever task seems too hard, whatever wolves we are facing, we assume that we could deal with it better if only we knew the outcome and if only we could see that it will all be worthwhile.

So we try to envision the future. We think we can correctly guess what will happen to us if we stay on our present course of difficulties, and usually we predict disaster. If we’re not following Jesus, we’re probably right, but if we are doing what the Lord is asking of us, when anything that becomes troublesome, the biggest problem is self-made: We lose our patient trust.

God has a good plan that will benefit us as well as everyone else who’s part of our trial, and yet we worry. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus makes it clear that we are not to worry, because the Holy Spirit will help us when the moment comes. Not one second sooner.

Jesus says we’re to be like sheep in the face of the wolves who threaten our peace — sheep that are shrewd like serpents and simple like doves. He’s not telling us to be sheep that stand dumbly in the path of the wolf wearing a sign that proclaims, “Bite me, I’m standing still.” No, we’re to be clever (shrewd) enough to wait for the right moment before standing up to the wolf, and simple-minded (read that as “single-minded” not “stupid”) enough to trust that the Holy Spirit will provide the wisdom and the words when that right moment comes.

Living in the kingdom of God causes us difficulties. Jesus is very clear about that. And therefore, although we tell God that we really do want to serve him and we really do trust him, fear asks: “Is everything going to work out okay?” And then impatience demands that we get the answer now. How shallow is our relationship with God if we aren’t content to trust that the Holy Spirit is taking action on our behalf!

God is good to us. We have the Holy Spirit as our aid. There is nothing more reliable in the whole universe! The power of the wolves is really so much smaller, hugely smaller; in fact, it’s nothing compared to the power of our Lord who is at work in us.

If you can’t feel God’s power yet, if you cannot hear his wisdom or his words, at least trust that it’s there, already inside you like electricity waiting for the flip of a switch. You can’t feel it surging through you, because it’s not the right moment yet.

Pay attention. Keep your eyes on Jesus. The right moment will come. In the meantime, closely follow your Good Shepherd.

For more on this subject, watch our video, “Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit” @ https://gnm-media.org/living-power-holy-spirit-intro/

© 2023 by Terry A. Modica

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