3 November 201331st Sunday in Ordinary Time
It is often said that we “identify” God, imaged as a father or mother, based on our human experience of parenthood. In that regard our perception of God differs from person to person, usually ranging from images of God as Creator to just judge to loving parent and much more, depending on how a person experiences both God and parenthood in his or her own life.
The reading from Wisdom adds much to our notion of God, offering us additional ways of thinking about God that are related to God's creative power, loving care of creation, and merciful love. Spending time with this passage can move us beyond its descriptions of God’s actions to experience even more.Step into the first verse, for example, and experience the vastness of creation beyond our imaginings.
Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
Then stop, in silence, and allow the awe and wonder of God's immensity take hold of you.
Next, immerse yourself in the verses that follow and begin to sense something of the infinite love of God for all creation, and to realize why God has pronounced it “good.”
Offer a prayer of praise to the Creator who established the great order and harmony of our world and the magnificence of its creatures.
Dare to plunge further into the mystery captured in these verses. Let it sink into your heart, how much we truly matter to God and how much a part of God we are. Join with the psalmist who answers the question: Who are we that you, O God, should even care about us? You have made us little less than the angels and crowned us with glory and honor (Ps 8).
Offer a prayer of thanksgiving to the One to whom we are intimately connected and who keeps us forever in his care.
The author, Ms. Barbara Gawle, leads Bible studies at her parish, Incarnation Church of Wethersfield, CT. She is a CBS graduate and the 2012 recipient of the Biblical School's highest award, The Lawrence Boadt Memorial Medal.
