Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

On the morning of the third day
there were peals of thunder and lightning,
and a heavy cloud over the mountain,
and a very loud trumpet blast,
so that all the people in the camp trembled.

This is the type of appearance we expect from God. The “Almighty” God should have power over nature, and we look for signs of that power to reassure our faith. If God appeared before us as he did for the Chosen People at Mt. Sinai, our doubts would melt away and we would fulfill our obligations with fervor. That is what we think, and we may at times resent God for not exercising power for our benefit more often, but we know that the Israelites did not remain steadfast in faith after seeing such an awesome display. Within short order, they had molded a golden calf to worship in place of the Almighty God.

If we find ourselves wishing that God would miraculously intervene in the tumult of this world, this may be a sign that we are overlooking the subtler actions of God. We’ve heard of the Butterfly Effect, that the slight breeze caused by the beating of a butterfly’s wings leads to chain reactions that affect what will happen in the future, and God often works in such subtle ways to effect changes in the lives of those whom he loves. If we don’t see it, we are like the faithless ones who do not understand Jesus’ parables. They hear but do not understand, look but never see.

But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear the subtle mysteries of God.

Reflection by Fr. Victor Schinstock, OSB