3 October 2014
Friday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
The first reading from the book of Job places us in firmly in the mystery of God’s action in the world, an action that at times seems difficult and confusing. Job recounts the majesty of God by recalling the depths of the sea and the lengths of the abyss, noting that God was the creator of the magnitude of the heavens and all on the earth and subsequently he is of little account.
Although we cannot disagree with this image, the first Friday of every month should help us to recall that there is another image of God that balances out the dramatic portrayal of the Divine described by Job.
I recall once standing before the great glacial canyon of Yosemite, with its great waterfalls, cliffs, and mountains, and watching someone take a photo of Dogwood blossoms. It struck me as somewhat incongruous that attention be paid to a flower in light of what was behind it. But the beautiful and the meaningful sometimes are small and the First Friday of every month should remind us that the God who carved the canyons is also the God that loves each one of us very much.