1 March 2022
Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
A central theme in the Gospel today is the overwhelming, infinite generosity of God. Peter remarks to our Lord that “we have given up everything and followed you.” In response, Jesus reassures him that there is not a single person who has ever given up anything for his sake who will not receive a hundred times more. A hundred times. Take a moment to think about how momentous this statement actually is. We are typically so desensitized by the transactional nature of the material world that it can sometimes be difficult to take the words of Christ at face value. The challenge for us is to let go of our preconceived notions of what God can and will do for us if only we give Him the opportunity.
There’s a book titled In Sinu Jesu in which the author asserts that, “we so often receive so little from God because we expect so little from Him.” Rather, we are exhorted to learn from our friends the saints what it means to ask boldly and unreservedly of God with full confidence that He actually desires to give us more and better and greater things that we could ever desire for ourselves. The limiting factor in God’s generosity is not how much He desires to give, but rather what we allow Him to give us. What are some ways that we limit God’s ability to act in our lives? When we pray, do we really believe that God will give us what we ask for? How can we be more intentional about cultivating a deeper trust in God’s loving Providence in everyday life?