The more that I grow in faith the less I believe in coincidence. Providence is the opposite of coincidence.

Providence is God’s plan for achieving the final purpose he has in mind for creation. This purpose is for all of God’s creation – the physical and the spiritual realities.

From our perspective providence can be seen as the unfolding of God’s plan over the course of time. God has set a goal to which all of creation is moving, God is active in attaining the goal and God is the goal itself. Through the revelation of the Son we have come to realize that God’s purpose for creating all that exists is that God wants to share the eternal glory and joy of the Trinitarian communion (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) with his creatures. God is fully aware of the plan, we catch glimpses of it.

There are implications to a belief in divine providence and I want to look at some of these because I believe that they can provide a needed corrective to the tenor of our times (a time more awash, it seems, in a vague notion of coincidence and fatalism than anything else).

Here are some implications as I see them:

Providence implication #1 – God is bigger than evil. A belief in divine providence is not naive to the reality of evil in the world and in the life of each individual. In fact, a belief in providence demands that one truly confront and wrestle with the dynamic of evil but to do so in the recognition of the larger scope of God’s plan. This recognition of a larger scope and plan is key both to a correct understanding of evil and also to the avoidance of despair. (Our Catholic thought has much wisdom and insight to offer on the problem of evil, frankly too much to share here … maybe in a later post. Suffice to say; God is not the author of evil, evil is freely chosen on the part of creatures and because God’s providence is bigger and precedes evil then what goes wrong through evil can always be ultimately embraced and transformed through divine providence.) Even though it can hurt, harm and kill, evil is fighting a losing battle.

Providence implication #2 – We are part of something much bigger than ourselves and we only have to worry about our particular moment. A belief in divine providence allows for an honest assessment of life and our place in the great procession of creation. It is said that when Pope John XXIIIrd would turn in at night he would often say (here I paraphrase), “God, it is your church, it is in your hands, I am going to bed.” We are not very good at seeing the big picture anymore and because of this we easily fall into the false assumption that “everything depends on me”. Well, it doesn’t. We need the humble wisdom of John XXIIIrd, a wisdom founded in a belief in God’s plan. God is in charge, we are just asked to do our part – now to do it well – but only to do our part.

Providence implication #3 – God is active in our lives and has a purpose for each of us. It is my humble estimation (now as a priest of fifteen years and disciple for longer) that despite our often loud proclamations of our relationship with Jesus Christ we are not really all that comfortable with God truly being that intimately involved in our daily lives and at work in the stuff of creation. We do like God nearby in moments of struggle and upheaval to give us comfort and assurance but other than this we generally like God up on his throne … far, far away, either benignly smiling upon us or shaking his finger at us. Whenever God shows up he tends to upset the apple cart and make a mess of things. The fact is that God stomps his feet, makes us uncomfortable, and demands that we examine ourselves, our lives and our actions and this is not always agreeable to our refined sensibilities. God is not always the polite visitor. A belief in providence is a belief that God is around and that God is intimately involved, both in the “stuff” of the world and also the “stuff” of our lives and we better get comfortable with it because, like it or not, God is here.

Also, because God is around and God is involved then God does have a plan for each of us and it is only when we wake up and start listening to what God has to say – whether it agrees with our plan or not – that we will come to know the joy and fulfillment that only God can give.

There is a lot to be said for providence.

Every so often I plan to share a song that I enjoy and that I believe has something good to say. This song is from one of my favorite artists – Diana Krall. The song is entitled, “Narrow Daylight”. The grace of God steals in like narrow daylight filling our hearts and bringing forth life and peace. Enjoy!

As a priest it is my continuing privilege to witness the union of a husband and wife on their wedding day. The Christian wedding is the celebration of the binding of a man and woman in a sacrament based precisely on the conviction that the couple has been brought together not by happenstance, nor coincidence nor some vague notion of “fate” but by nothing less than God’s own providence and love. The Christian sacrament of marriage is a beautiful, increasingly counter-cultural and needed witness to our world.

Through my years as a priest working with couples and celebrating with them on their wedding day I have found that through this ministry I continue to have my own life vocation strengthened as well as gain more insight into the reality of vocation itself – whether that vocation be marriage or priesthood.

A recent realization that has struck me is how a vocation from God is never something that we own or control. Vocation is always fundamentally a gift that we are called to safeguard and continually nurture. I do not “own” my vocation to the priesthood. It is not mine to do with as I please. Neither does a married couple “own” their relationship to one another nor do they “own” their spouse nor their children.

A vocation is a gift pure and simple. It is a gift from God. We cannot own it nor control it according to our wills but we are meant to safeguard it, to nurture it and to live it – specifically in service.

A Scripture reading (often proclaimed at weddings) that expresses this truth is the very tender scene of Tobiah and Sarah on their wedding night. Before all else, the newly married couple brought themselves before God in the humility of prayer.

On their wedding night Tobiah arose from bed and said to his wife, ‘Sister, get up. Let us pray and beg our Lord to have mercy on us and to grant us deliverance.’ Sarah got up, and they started to pray … They began with these words, ‘Blessed are you, God of our fathers; praised be your name forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever. You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race descended. You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a partner like himself.’ Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age.’ They said together, ‘Amen, amen.” (Tobit 8:4b-8)

Tobiah and Sarah gathered in the humility of prayer because it is only humility that can lead us into the true awareness and realization of vocation as gift. It is precisely humility; Scripture tells us again and again, that is the key to true wisdom and insight.

And it is precisely when we fool ourselves into thinking that we own or control a vocation in order to do with as we please and shape as we will, either individually or as a society, that we get ourselves into trouble.

If you are trying to figure out your call in life then my advice, first and foremost; is to pray, and pray again, and pray some more for the gift of humility. And for us who have answered a call to a life vocation; pray, pray again, and pray some more for the humility to never take it for granted and to continually safeguard the great gift that we have been given.

“Let us pray and beg our Lord to have mercy on us and to grant us deliverance … Amen, amen.”

I know a young man by the name of Mark. Mark was raised Catholic and attended Catholic school through junior high. During his high school years Mark received the sacrament of confirmation and was semi-involved in his parish youth group. During his junior year he began attending a non-denominational youth program with his best friend. This program maintains no connection with any christian church denomination and specifies that its mission is to help young people realize that faith can be fun. True to its mission, the group does have energetic and fun gatherings, it specifically targets certain young people that it would like to see as members (generally young people of a certain socio-economic grouping) and it offers a summer camp experience replete with all sorts of extreme activities. Through it all the message is consistent: “Faith = fun”.

On April 8, 2005 I sat in front of my television along with millions around the world and millions in Rome itself and watched as Pope John Paul II, servant of God, was laid to rest after an amazing life and an historic pontificate. The funeral Mass was beautiful and a testament to this globe-trotting pope but what was also a testament to John Paul II’s pontificate was the variety of people present. I remember thinking this time and again as the cameras scanned the vast crowd packed into St. Peter’s square and beyond – young and old were present, rich and poor as well as world leaders and humble religious brothers and sisters. Another notable group present were leaders representing the world’s religions – not only all strips of Christians but Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and others. A few times the cameras focused in on this group and I thought how characteristic this representation was of the late Pope’s work to reach out to all people of goodwill and also how very “catholic and truly christian”.

God said, “Let us make man in our image, to our likeness. Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over the wild animals, and over all creeping things that crawl along the ground. So God created man in his image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

From the very first chapter of Sacred Scripture we have this amazing truth – all men and women – throughout the world and throughout time – are made in the image and likeness of God. As the story of the Scriptures continues though we learn of the fall and we see its effects in the history of humanity and the human person – the image and likeness of God is lost and covered over but not fundamentally destroyed, not totally obliterated. The revelation of the Christ is God’s answer to the fall and its consequences. Through Christ all creation is saved and restored – a salvation which we could never achieve on our own.

This fundamental anthropological understanding of the image of God present in each and every person is what was so catholic and truly christian about the representation of the world’s religious traditions at Pope John Paul II’s funeral Mass. It is this basic understanding of the human person that allows the Catholic Church to reach out and to acknowledge what is good and true in all the world’s religions and all the world’s peoples while at the same time holding on to and proclaiming the unique and full revelation of salvation found in Jesus Christ alone.

Before a person is a Muslim, Buddhist, Jew, Christian, agnostic or atheist he or she is someone made in God’s image. Before someone is solely a potential consumer or client to be won over he or she is someone made in God’s image. Before a person is just another statistic in a social/political issue he or she is someone made in God’s image. Before someone is just another soul needing to be saved he or she is someone made in God’s image.

Our Christian faith proclaims that through our baptisms the image of God present within the human person is fully restored by God’s grace and that also through a lifetime of faith choices on our part (responding to and saying “yes” to God’s grace) the likeness of God itself can be regained. These truths of the Christian faith are not things to gloat in and hold over the heads of non-Christians but sacred responsibilities to live out in sincerity and humility. (Responsibilities which, I believe, we Christians will be held accountable for before the judgement seat of Christ.) Further, these truths carry consequences; two of which directly influence our take on leadership:

1. Christian leadership respects the image of God within each person and seeks to acknowledge and call forth that image.

2. Christian leadership allows no room for manipulation in any form.

When Paul arrived in Athens to began his preaching he proclaimed,

Athenian citizens, I note that in every way you are very religious. As I walked around looking at your shrines, I even discovered and altar with this inscription: “To an unknown God.” Now, what you worship as unknown, I intend to make known to you. (Acts 17:22-23)

Paul began by showing respect. He not only acknowledged the honest religious desire that was present within the Athenian (Gentile) community; he also proclaimed that desire to be fundamentally good. Through the revelation of Christ and the Lord’s proclamation of the universality of the Kingdom of God, Paul was the first to put two and two together and recognize the image of God in all people – now Gentiles are coheirs with the Jews. Paul, here and throughout his entire ministry, witnesses for us respect for the image of God within each and every person.

We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. (2 Cor. 4:2)

The acknowledgement of the image of God within each person, if it is to be authentic, demands not just a superficial respect given toward the other person but also a fearless evaluation of our own actions and methods and, if need be, a change and conversion in our approach toward others. When the image of God is recognized there is no room for manipulation in any form. Paul did not just proclaim the word of God to others but, most importantly, let the word of God search and purify his own soul and then he acted out of that truth. “We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways..,” writes the apostle. True leadership resists and renounces manipulation in all forms.

Passages for further reflection:

Genesis 1:26-31
Psalm 8

He revealed his almighty power in Christ when he raised him from the dead and had him sit at his right hand in heaven, far above all rule, power, authority, dominion, or any such supernatural force that could be named, not only in this world but in the world to come as well. Thus has God put all things under the feet of Christ and set him above all things, as head of the Church which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:20-23).

Whose understanding of leadership? Whose version of success? These are valid questions. Our society is glutted with theories and strategies of leadership and success. From books and magazine articles to seminars and workshops – some of which one has to pay high dollar to attend – Americans cannot get enough on leadership and strategies for success. And all types of people and professions are willing to put forth their particular theory. Everyone, it seems, is getting in on the act – CEOs as well as all levels of business leaders, politicians, coaches and athletes, generals and admirals, professors, televangelists and preachers … just to name a few.

…You have one homeland,
the bell rings, grave, deep,
Vietnam prays.
The bell rings still, sharp, charged with emotion,
Vietnam weeps.
The bell rings again, vibrant pathetic,
Vietnam triumphs.
The bell tolls, crystalline
Vietnam hopes.

You have one homeland, Vietnam;
a country so beloved, through the centuries.
It is your pride, your joy.
Love her mountains and her rivers,
her brocade and satin landscapes,
her glorious history,
her hard-working people,
her heroic defenders.

The raging rivers run
as does the blood of her people.
Her mountains are high,
but higher still the bones that are piled there.
The land is narrow, but her ambition vast,
O little country much renowned!

Help your homeland with your whole self,
be faithful to her;
defend her with your body and blood,
build her up with your heart and mind,
share the joy of your brothers and sisters,
and the sadness of your people.

One Vietnam.
One people.
One soul.
One culture.
One tradition.

Catholics of Vietnam,
love a thousand times your homeland!
The Lord teaches you, the Church asks you –
may the love of your country be fully one
with the blood that runs through your veins.

(Cardinal Van Thuan, Five Loaves and Two Fish, poem written during house arrest on December 8, 1975)

Reflection

What is amazing is that these words were written by a man under arrest by the very government of the country he loves. For thirteen years he will be imprisoned and eventually exiled from his beloved homeland. But his heart does not succumb to bitterness; instead it turns to hope.

In speaking of the Twenty-four Paragraphs which we have been meditating upon these past few weeks, Cardinal Van Thuan remarks, “They are very practical points. If we live the twenty-four hours of our day radically for Jesus, we will be saints. They are the twenty-four stars that light up our road of hope … Reread these thoughts once a week. You will find that grace will shine forth, transforming your lives.”

You have only one reward: God himself. When God asked Saint Thomas Aquinas: “You have written well of me, Thomas; what reward do you desire?” Saint Thomas replied, “Only you, Lord.” (Cardinal Van Thuan, Five Loaves and Two Fish)

Have one way of becoming holy: the grace of God and your will to live by grace (cf. 1 Cor 15:10). God will never be lacking with his grace; but is your will strong enough? (Cardinal Van Thuan, Five Loaves and Two Fish)