Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
JER 11: 18-20
PS 7: 2-3, 9BC-10, 11-12
JN 7: 40-53
Today’s reading certainly wasn’t comfortable. The first passage describes trusting the wrong person and getting hurt; the Psalm pleads for refuge and justice; and the Gospel tells of a plot to arrest Jesus. These passages remind me of the classic “where’s God when…” question. Where’s God when I’m scared? Where’s God when I’m hurt? Where’s God when the world is scared and hurting? The truth that’s often hard to see is that God is right there, in the midst of suffering, ready to receive our prayers and cries for help. It is up to us to look to Him.
In Luke 8, the “good soil” are those “who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.” To me, generosity and perseverance are the virtues that look to God. The most generous people I know are the ones who never answer “Yes, but…” rather they always answer “Yes,” and without reservation. They’re open to seeking God wherever they are, and are willing to give whatever they must to find Him. The perseverant heart doesn’t stop until it does.
The journey of life is sometimes glorious, and it’s easy to give freely and seek God with enthusiasm. But sometimes, the journey is dark, and injustices threaten this energetic spirit. It is these times when it is most important to call on God, and to keep an open, giving, and persistent heart. When we find God in the darkness, we will be rewarded with His sustenance and peace.
Ashley Johann
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