Saturday – 18th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Matthew 17:14-20

What’s The Plan?

Rainbow, Jordan River / Tennessee

 

Back when I was serving at SRB not only as a Deacon but also as Pastoral Associate, Ginger and I developed a set plan to start the day. One simple question!  What’s the plan?  A relatively simple question that helps us focus on the day – its schedule, its meetings and what we need to do!  Did we accomplish everything on our list?  Absolutely not!  But we had a good idea of what to expect and how to plan for it!  Yeah right!  Like that ever happens!  Emergencies happen!  The unexpected happens!  Count on it!  Even today, with our morning cup of coffee/tea, we ask the same question – what’s the plan!!! 

If only LIFE was that simple!  If only we really knew how the day would really unfold!  And so on a daily basis, perhaps even hourly, we ask God the same question!  What’s the plan?  What should we expect?  How should I plan for the day?  What’s the big picture?  We know from experience during the Covid years that life was scary and unpredictable.  We didn’t have a clue how any day would progress.  Life was uncertain and we were so lacking in hope and most especially in faith!  We know from experience that, no matter how much we plan, things do not always happen as we hope.  Unexpected events can upset our schedules and greatly shake our faith!

And apparently something similar is happening with the disciples in today’s Gospel – lacking in faith!  They could not cure the ‘lunatic’ son and Jesus calls them out for it.  Because of your LITTLE faith!  Just because we don’t see God at work doesn’t mean He isn’t working!  Just because everything seems the same, or even worse, doesn’t mean God isn’t looking out for us, caring for us.  God is working even if we don’t see it with our eyes.  Have a little faith – faith that God has a plan - that things will work out according to God’s plan and time, not our own.   That is real faith – faith that there is a God, that He is looking out for us, and that He will see us through this – according to His Time, not our own!

 

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