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By Bro. Bobot Apit  

God’s plans often leave us in total darkness. What we need in those moments of not understanding them is a bit more faith and trust in our God who is not a sadist or tyrant but a loving Father.

YAHWEH EL SHADDAI, it's true that many times, you allowed things to happen that we don’t understand. Sometimes we panic and make hasty decisions without consulting you. Help us to trust you knowing that, nothing comes our way that you didn’t know in advance and that you are in perfect control. THANK YOU LORD! AMEN!

M atthew 21:33-43, 45-46 Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. (34) When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. (35) But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. (36)  Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. (37) Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ (38) But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ (39) They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. (40) What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” (41) They answered him, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” (42) Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes’? (43) Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.” (45) When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. (46) And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

Meditation by Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

G od’s often mysterious Plans

Ignatius of Loyola was a typical soldier of his time — not very holy at all. Then he was wounded in a war, became bedridden for some time, and then converted. Young Francis of Assisi was a dandy and jolly partygoer. Then he, too, was wounded and, during a prolonged illness, reformed his life.

We ask, “Did they have to suffer first to bring them to their senses?” Obviously that was God’s plan for these two saints and for many others — us included.

Yes, God’s plans are sometimes extremely mysterious, even shocking. No wonder we often cannot understand what is happening to us, to our loved ones, to the world. How often do we ask God, “Why do you do this to me?” And with the bestselling author Philip Yancey, we may cry out what he put as title on one of his books, “Where is God when it hurts?”

When we utter these questions, God only smiles and says, “Just wait, my dear friend, you will understand later.”

O ur readings today point to the same direction.

Joseph the Dreamer, spoiled by his father, was sold into slavery by his own jealous brothers. Years later, as second in command in Egypt, he finally realized that all his suffering and humiliation were necessary so that through him God would save not only countless Egyptians, but also his father and his brothers, from seven years of famine.

The owner of the vineyard suffers the death of his servants, even of his son. But that finally made him hire other tenants and to get the harvest of grapes he was entitled to. And God did not save His Son from the horrible torture of the Cross so that He may reach His grand goal: the salvation of humankind.

God’s plans often leave us in total darkness. What we need in those moments of not understanding them is a bit more faith and trust in our God who is not a sadist or tyrant but a loving Father. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD # # #

GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU. – Bobot Apit

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