Rejoice in God

October 5, 2024 Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17; Luke 10:17-24

I often get remarks such as, “What do you get out of it?” or “Why do you do what you do?” They are referring to the mission that I do in Mindanao through our Love the Poor Program.

To the ordinary eyes, they see the difficulties that we go through, the danger that we face and the expense that we incur. But for us in the Love the Poor team, we see a glimpse of Christ each time. We feel Christ, smell Christ and hear Christ each time such that we are always looking for more and wanting for more mission opportunities.

This is the message of the readings today. When we go up the mountains to evangelize, this is when we fully experience the presence of God working in and through us. We see the joy among poor people. We see their peace, their hope and their faith. We see God providing for our mission in more ways than one, in circumstances that we do not expect and through people that we do not know.

It is in our most difficult and challenging mission work that we see the amazing hands of God guiding us and providing for us. The first reading exclaims the power of God over all things. That truly He is in-charge and if we surrender our cares and concerns to Him alone, He will take care of us just as He took care of Job. But we need to trust His ways.

The Gospel also echoes the power of the Spirit over all that is evil. But more than this is the gift to see and experience God when we allow Him to work in us and through us. 

Call to Action for Catholic Living:   The complications of the world blind and deafen us. A trusting heart, submitting to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, sees what the naked eyes cannot see.

May our hearts only have one desire so each day we pray, “Lord, let your face shine on me.”