Date: May 8, 2020 ()

Bible Text: First Reading: Acts 13:26-33; Gospel: John 14:1-6 |

Series:

“Every detail in the world will make sense to us when we understand things according to His plan.”

Bishop Ner, our former bishop in my home diocese, told us a story back when he was still a kid during the time of Japanese occupation in the Philippines. One day, the Japanese soldiers came to their village and abducted all males including male kids to be brought to the barracks. It was a tragic day, but not for him. As they were being led to the trucks, a high-ranking Japanese official noticed him and he was asked to stay with the official while the rest went their way to their respective trucks. The reason why he was asked to stay was that the chief official already missed his son who happened to look like the little bishop Ner. Later, while they were on a convoy, 2 big explosions jolted them and they found out the two trucks ahead of them hit a landmine and injured and killed some in the truck. The bishop would always recall this crucial part of his life in deep sorrow and at the same time in gratitude. He was just spared from the tragedy. For him, it was God’s providence otherwise he would have not become a bishop.

God’s providence will always be there and never ever run out. How unfortunate of us if, however obvious, we still could not see the blessings.

In the first reading, Paul articulated the bigger scenario of God’s plan of salvation. In his discourse, a part of it, Paul said: “The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him (Jesus), and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets that are read sabbath after sabbath.” Paul also was once blinded but he opened himself to the grace of God making him see many more things in a deeper way.

Ignorance and inabilities to see, like the inhabitants of Israel and their leaders, could also happen to us. Jesus opened to us the truth of His mission: He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is salvation. But some would rather not prefer to believe and see. Why? The refusal to believe can happen when our only concern is not anymore seeking sincerely to find the truth and the right one but to protect our self-interests and our own biases. For me, every detail in the world will make sense to us when we understand things according to His plan. We only need to believe.