God's promise to us

Sisters and brothers in Christ, in our anger and frustration, we tend to say hurtful things. One of the most hurtful things a parent and tell a child is "I wish you had never been born." One of the most hurtful things we can say to God is, "I wish I were never born." 

When things in our lives are not going the way we hope, in our moment of despair, we think like poor Job thinks in today's first reading, saying: "Perish the day on which I was born, the night when they said, 'The child is a boy!' Why did I not perish at birth, come forth from the womb and expire?"

Jesus rebukes us, as he rebuked the disciples in today's Gospel, and reminds us of what we have forgotten in those moments of despair - God's promise to us:

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. When you call me, and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me—oracle of the LORD—and I will change your lot. . ." (Jeremiah 29:11-114).

Faith gives us hope because we know that we are loved by our Father in heaven. Let us never forget that God created us; we have a purpose. We are the apple of His eyes, each and every one of us, so we turn to Him and know that He will never let us down.

. . .

Gospel of the Day

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.