Once again, I feel incredibly weary from the journey of the struggles of my family life and so I know that my immediate reaction to these wonderful readings is a bit skewed ! The readings are just "so about" abundance and care and hope. (Can you tell the struggles concern young adults by the lingo?) I can hear that soothing reassurance in the distance, but before I can really embrace it, and hear it loud and clear (or is it loudly and clearly ?) , I have to stop and deal with the serious doubt and questioning that the man from Baal-shalishah as well as Philip and Andrew did. My present day reality seems impossible to reconcile with "the one hope of your call", my call, too, but it is possible and it is because of the word "reconcile" that it is so. Jesus reconciled all things to, once again, be in right relationship with the Father.

It is clear to me that my ways just don't solve these serious family problems most of the time, even though they are backed up by solid prayer, communication, advice from experts, etc. etc. At least they don't work immediately to solve whatever the crucial problem happens to be. I keep telling myself that it is not about the daily skirmishes, fierce and critically important though they may be, but about the end result. The words of Scripture and the Lord's ways will ultimately win out... holding fast to those things seems to help me live "in a manner worthy of the call you have received". That manner just seems to require considerably more fortitude and patience that I feel that I have.

Psalm 145 talks about the Lord giving food “in due season". The Gospel also reads ,"Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted". I can hear lots of hope in those words. I hear that there are stewards of God's goodness and that they are watchful, even vigilant, in sharing and distributing God's abundant gifts to those in need. Right now, I rely on those stewards about me to foster my spiritual nourishment while I am trying to keep the spiritual nourishment flowing to the young adults that are so in need. The give and take of all of that actually allows me to hold faster to those thoughts about abundance that the Lord provides. He is indeed, "near to all those who call upon him in truth." And that is the truth.

(Comments to Lanie at lanieleblanc@mindspring.com.)