Before we return to the rhythm of the daily interpretations, I would like to add a valuable text that was sent to me in the context of the last meditations. It helps to understand why in the last few days I have chosen very clear words to speak about the irritations in the world and in the Church describing the work of Lucifer. The text comes from St. Pius X, from Pascendi Dominici Gregis. On his day of remembrance I had written my meditations for August 22.
“It must, however, be confessed that these latter days have witnessed a notable increase in the number of the enemies of the Cross of Christ, who, by arts entirely new and full of deceit, are striving to destroy the vital energy of the Church, and, as far as in them lies, utterly to subvert the very Kingdom of Christ. Wherefore We may no longer keep silence, lest We should seem to fail in Our most sacred duty, and lest the kindness that, in the hope of wiser counsels, We have hitherto shown them, should be set down to lack of diligence in the discharge of Our office.
That We should act without delay in this matter is made imperative especially by the fact that the partisans of error are to be sought not only among the Church’s open enemies; but, what is to be most dreaded and deplored, in her very bosom, and are the more mischievous the less they keep in the open.”
Now the words of the biblical text of today:
Rom 11, 33-35
How rich and deep are the wisdom and the knowledge of God! We cannot reach to the root of his decisions or his ways. Who has ever known the mind of the Lord? Who has ever been his adviser? Who has given anything to him, so that his presents come only as a debt returned? Everything there is comes from him and is caused by him and exists for him. To him be glory for ever! Amen.
This exclamation comes from the heart and spirit of St. Paul, who recognizes the wonderful guidance of God, despite the resistance of the people of Israel! A great knowledge of God is given to him, and we know even from his own words that God left him a certain suffering so that he would not exalt himself because of his high knowledge (cf. 2 Cor 12,7)!
With this wonderful exclamation he gives us good advice! We cannot overlook the ways of God. Often we are faced with situations that are incomprehensible to us. If we want to understand them with our limited knowledge, we can even go crazy about them.
Let us think, for example, of the surprising death of a child or another loved one, or, if we look at history, of the death of so many Jews during the time of the Hitler madness. Who can explain this, who can understand it?
Here we are invited to trust: Of course, this applies not only to such dramatic and painful events, but to everything. We can learn to understand God better if we entrust ourselves to His ways; then perhaps we will be given the gift, in retrospect, to understand something of the wisdom of God, why He allowed this or that to happen!
But this entrusting ourselves is not a resigned “you can’t know anyway”, perhaps unconsciously reproaching God that we cannot see how things are. No, it is a whole yes that God knows things and that everything leads to the good.
These are then acts of faith through which we place our heart, our mind, our will and also our emotions completely under the love reign of God. When we recognize God’s wonderful guidance, then we rejoice of our own accord and praise rises from the heart, then it is easy to join St. Paul in his call. When it is dark and we see nothing, then faith, which does not let us go to despair, is our bright light.
The basis for this trust is the knowledge of the love of God, which we may always ask for and which we perceive more and more even as our love grows. Only love opens up the knowledge of God for us, and with this knowledge comes the inner security on all the paths that God prepares for us!
If we look at it in the right way, then this knowledge of St. Paul also makes us very much relieved and delighted! We as human beings – despite all our enormous knowledge that God has given us in the exploration of nature – need the right humility to perceive the glorious ways of God.
They are not like a logic that is visible to us, which runs through the laws of nature. Man does not function like a machine or a plant, but God has created him as a free counterpart. Through the Fall of man in sin, a situation has arisen that integrates God into His plan. The many faults of man, his great sins and errors, but also his good will, his obedience to God and the positive development of the gifts that God has entrusted to them, form an essential part of the history of mankind! God wants to lead them to their destiny. History is therefore not simply a process that will naturally end in good.
No, it is a struggle between those who obey God, who want to serve him and who cooperate in making this world a kingdom of God, and those people who, in their ignorance or even blindness, are in danger of serving the devil’s plans. Then there are also people who have become evil.
The wonderfully created high angel, called Lucifer, has abused his freedom and in his delusion wants to destroy the works of God. He works tirelessly to draw people to his side and establish a dictatorship of evil. In the last few days we have dealt with this sad subject more intensively.
All this involves God in his actions and he will lead all those who trust and listen to him to where he wants them to be. God knows how to include everything in his plan; he alone knows everything.
So we can proclaim: Thanks God that his wisdom rules the world and not those forces of destruction which outwardly seem to be victorious but in reality are already defeated. God will never abandon His own to perdition!