13th Sunday in Ordinary Time | God over delivers on his promises
[Father Paul]
It's incredible how fast kids grow up. We had a lot of graduations last week, and I'm so happy and proud of all our young people who are about to embark on new adventures in their lives. I'm also proud of their parents and families who have supported them on their journey. On this point, I was browsing Facebook last week when I came across a video from "Britain's Got Talent" that melted my heart. Two little girls, just three and four years old, appeared on the stage with their grandmother to surprise their father by asking him to sing a little lullaby that he sings to their children. The link is here if you'd like to see it:
Somehow, this video also reminded me of that famous song from Doris Day:
When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother,
"What will I be? Will I be pretty? Will I be rich?"
Here's what she said to me
Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be
Since I am just a boy at school
I asked my teacher, "What should I try?
Should I paint pictures? Should I sing songs?"
This was her wise reply
Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be
When I grew up and fell in love
I asked my lover, "What lies ahead?
Will we have rainbows day after day?"
Guess what my lover said
Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be
Now I have children of my own
They ask their mother, "What will I be?
Will I be pretty? Will I be rich?"
I tell them, "Wait and see."
Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be
Que sera, sera
Where am I going with all this?
Jesus never promises that we will be rich or famous or have rainbows every day. But we should not despair. When God does make a promise to us, not only does God keep the promise, but God over delivers. Here are some examples.
Consider creation. It was not enough that God created light; God created so much light that we could be blinded by it. It was not enough that He made the world; the earth is big enough. He created a universe of worlds, galaxies, and infinite space. We can't even imagine how big it is. There is no end in sight to the wonder of it all. Not only that, but he created all kinds of life, living things unimaginable in their power, grace, and dignity. I saw a moth the other day, and when he (or she) spread his wings, they looked like leaves.
Here are some pictures: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/239676011392254881/
Or, consider redemption. God promised us, right from the day of our birth, that He would redeem us. All God had to do was say, "Yes, I redeem you," but instead, God over delivered. He sent His son to show us how much He loves us by suffering and dying on the cross. It's the same with salvation. Not only did God put an end to suffering and death, but he made a paradise of heaven for us and called us his friends. And, speaking of friendship, God promised He would always be with us and gave us the Eucharist so that we might receive Him in communion every day and adore him in every church worldwide.
And His tender care and love for us manifests in many ways. The other day, I was praying before the Blessed Sacrament when I innocently checked my phone. There was a Google chat message from my secretary about a family who wanted to get a hold of me earlier in the day about their father, who was dying at home. I felt lousy because I didn't see the text until then, so I went to their house as soon as adoration was finished. Unfortunately, he had already passed, but I said the anointing prayers anyway. It was a beautiful moment for me: "By the way," I asked. "When did He pass?" "5:30 pm," they said. That was precisely when I checked my phone and noticed the time when I was looking. It's as if God or the deceased from heaven said to me, "Hey, better get over there." I'm not superstitious, but can this be a coincidence?
God over delivers on His promises. How can we apply this to our lives? For one thing, think of God as your friend. For me, this is the greatest promise of all and the greatest over delivery. It's because God is infinite. Whenever I spend time with someone I care about, a million other things are pulling at me. This is because I only have a finite amount of time to spend with those I love. I have realized that because God is infinite, when he is present to you, which is all the time, it is as if you are the only person in the world. I have to divide my time between people, not because I want to but because I'm only finite. God's not finite; he's infinite, so he doesn't have to divide his time between people. It's as if you are the only person in the world for him. Let that sink in, and allow the feeling of freedom, peace, and acceptance this brings to you. Everything is going to work out fine.
Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera.
Comments