Fr. Jim Lowe Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time 8/2/20

“ Thus says the LORD: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat” (Isaiah 55:1) “Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). “Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over— twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.” (Matthew 14:19-21) These passages all refer to God providing us with what we need. Whether it is water when we are thirsty, or food when we are hungry, or spiritual assistance when we are afflicted, God is always there for us. Why, then, do we fail to turn to Him in times of need? Why do we turn to the world, the flesh, and the devil? The answer is simple. We fail to trust in His promise…God will never abandon us. He is always at our side. Hoe does not always give us exactly what we ask of Him, but He always gives us exactly what we need exactly when we need it. All we have to do is ask! Friends, we are living in very difficult times right now. It seems like we are faced with many of the obstacles mentioned in Romans chapter 8 almost on a daily basis. People we know getting sick or dying from Covid 19, violence in our cities, political and ideological divisions, anger, fear, anxiety, etc. Yet the message we are hearing in the scriptures today is simple. Turn to Jesus. He wants to provide us with exactly what we need in the midst of everything else going on around us. Lord Jesus, grant us the grace to trust in you. Help us to turn to you and surrender everything into your loving and merciful embrace. Fr. Jim Lowe