Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week of Ordinary Time
“Digitus Dei est hic.”
The first Jesuits, when considering their apostolic activity in the world, were convinced of the sentiment reportedly expressed by Paul III when he first encountered the blueprint for the budding order: Digitus Dei est hic—The finger of God is here. The “finger of God,” mentioned today in our readings, symbolizes God’s action in the world, an action that can accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine. God acts with sovereign freedom, but throughout Christian history it has been evident that God shows forth his power when human beings are obedient to His commands and inspirations. When this power is present, fruit is borne far beyond what our own finite power can produce.
It was the incongruity between the effects of their labors compared to their own human capacities that convinced the early Jesuits and the Church of the Catholic Reformation that the power of God lay behind their efforts. In our own lives we should strive first for fidelity to the commands and inspirations of God, and allow this grace to fructify all our efforts in the world.