Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
In the first reading today, we hear how Paul acknowledges how people in Jerusalem failed to recognize Jesus and to understand his mission. The failure to recognize runs as a constant theme through the scriptures. Among the many examples, a few come to mind such as comparing the greatness of the Kingdom of God to a grain of yeast or a small mustard seed. Likewise, in the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 25), Jesus will judge those in the end times who did not recognize him in the face of the poor. It is for this reason that Ignatius of Loyola placed discernment, finding God in all things, as such an important skill. This is one of our great projects in life, to find the author of life in what we see and do. This task requires God’s grace and the development of all the gifts of human wisdom. No surprise that Ignatius stressed the importance of a life of prayer, saw education in human wisdom, and a strong development of faith as the two means by which we find God and spread the gospel.