IT’S good that from time to time we again read about the many miracles Christ performed that are recorded in the gospels if only to be strongly reminded of God’s power that we seem, little by little, to take for granted and ignore today.
We always tend to believe that we can manage to live our life and to handle all kinds of situations just by relying on our own powers, practically denying the fact that our powers come from God and are supposed to be a participation of God’s powers. This is especially so since we now appear to be gaining more power through our inventions and creations.
We obviously have to do our part. We have to make use of everything we have got to resolve whatever problems, difficulties, issues, etc., we have in this life. Yes, we have to very realistic and practical about everything. But we should not forget that we always need God.
Even in our small, usual and very manageable concerns, we should go and be with God first before we attempt to tackle them. This does not mean that we are getting too dependent on him. Truth is, we actually depend on him for everything even if we also should fully use whatever capabilities we have. Yes, we enjoy a freedom that enables us to have a certain autonomy but not total independence from God.
We have to remember that being God’s creatures who have been created in his image and likeness, we are meant to live our whole life with him. Our relationship with him is not that of a parasite to a host, but rather that of a child to his father. That is our undeniable and inalienable lineage. God and us are meant to be together always.
There is nothing in our life where God is not supposed to be involved. This basic truth about ourselves should never be forgotten. It should rather be constantly reinforced. And one way to do that is precisely to remind ourselves of the many demonstrations of God’s power through his miracles.
Hopefully such awareness would strengthen our belief that we need God for everything. We should not go to him only during extraordinary circumstances when we happen to feel completely helpless. We need to go to him always, whatever the circumstances may be.
Let’s never forget what Christ clearly said: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15, 5) We have to understand these words well. Definitely we can do a lot of things without God. We can even make war against him.
But what Christ meant is that without him, we would be incapable of doing anything that is worthy of our dignity as children of God. And that, in the end, is what matters.
Again let us remember Christ’s words: “What does it a profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?” (Mk 8, 36) We have to be wary of our tendency to be so easily seduced by worldly allurements that we forget that we are meant to be with God.
Let’s hope that considering the many miracles of Christ in the gospel would strengthen our faith and trust in God. Let’s hope that it would make us so humble as to acknowledge who we really are—that we are nothing without God. Let’s hope that whatever accomplishments we make in this world would bring us closer to him rather than distance us from him.
Let’s nourish our spiritual soul with “the living and enduring word of God” as St. Peter said in his first letter, since we have been born “not of perishable seed, but of an imperishable one.” (1, 23)
Let’s have a conversion of heart to accommodate this basic truth about ourselves. We need God always! We cannot live as we ought without him./PN
