In God’s Ways

Today’s Gospel Text: And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; 18 and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Luke 2:16-21

Reflection: There are some things in life which cannot be told to others nor will it be easily understood by others.  

Can you tell any adult about engineering or science or politics?  One has to be technically proficient in that particular subject in order to understand the depth of the matter.

But there are something’s in life which are understood easily and yet not completely understood as it is supposed to be understood. 

When it comes to the word of God we face a similar predicament; there are some who never understand it and there are some who understand it and yet never understand it as it is supposed to be understood and the worse is when they understand it superficially and yet think that they have understood it all.

It also depends on who communicates to whom and how it is communicated; a good teacher will normally make their student thorough in what they teach.

In this gospel passage we have the angels who have communicated to the shepherds about the Child Jesus: I am sure when God or his agents communicate they communicate much more perfectly then any human being.

Because when humans communicate, they need to take into consideration the categories in the mind of the other, which is not done most of the time or is done imperfectly.

But when God or his agents communicate they know the categories in the human mind, its many objections and then it is, above all, communicated in grace to the spirit, which perfectly understands.

Hence what was understood by the Shepherds through the message of the angels was well listened to by the people who heard these shepherds share and yet did not understand it and “wondered at what the shepherds told them.” (vs.18)

Prayer:  Lord, put your Spirit within me so that like Mary I too may learn to ponder on your word and then cause me to walk in your ways. (cfr. Ez. 36:27)

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