Know That I Am With You

Know That I Am With You

Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth, and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south.  In you and your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.  Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land.  I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you.”  Genesis 28:14-15

A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak.  She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.”  Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.”  And from that hour the woman was cured.  Matthew 9:20-22

Piety

Let nothing trouble you

Let nothing frighten you
Everything passes

God never changes
Patience Obtains all
Whoever has God

Wants for nothing
God alone is enough.

(St. Teresa of Avila)

Study

Three stories united by the characters putting their full trust in the Lord.  Jacob did so after the revelation in his dream and the messengers from the Lord, as well as a direct encounter with the Lord Himself.  However, we are told of no such revelation rendered to the official whose daughter was ill (or possibly even dead) and the woman with the bleeding condition.  They had certainly heard about the miraculous work of Jesus and the signs he was offering to the community around him.  Therefore, they approached him with their problems. 

According to the Catechism, “Faith means trusting God in every circumstance, even in adversity. The prayer above from St. Teresa wonderfully expresses this trust that is exemplified in the lives of those people in today’s readings.  

Action

We put our trust in a lot of places where it should not be.  Many people and organizations in whom we place our trust are not earning it. Banking.  Energy companies.  Churches.  Employers.  Politicians.  Technology.  The institutions and organizations in our culture never seem to stop trying to live down to their reputation. 

How has violated your trust?  Where did you turn afterward? 

Maybe we should just heed the message borne out in today’s readings – and that is inscribed on every coin in our pocket.  In God We Trust.