Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 27

Genesis 40-41

We continue the narrative of Joseph, his interpretation of dreams, his release from incarceration and becoming the Pharaoh's right hand man.

Here we see the providence of God, and that his plan is perfect, even when we don't see it ourselves.  He is able to bring good out of evil in ways that we can't possibly predict.

I also find Joseph's words to be very revealing:  "Do not interpretations belong to God?"  If God sent these dreams, God alone can interpret them and reveal them to us.  The scriptures are much the same...He inspired them, and it is He who interprets them in the person of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 26

This Psalm goes back to a familiar formula, contrasting the righteous and wicked, and asking God to see the good of the righteous.

Matthew 14:22-36

After his miracle of the loaves and fish, now Jesus dismisses the crowds and goes up to pray on his own while the disciples get in the boat and begin to head out to the other side.  And after he prays, he comes walking across the lake to get to them and freaks them out, big time. 

Peter...on the edge of brilliance sometimes, makes a show of faith that foreshadows his profession to come later.  He walks on the water with Jesus, but becomes afraid of the wind and waves, and begins to sink.  Jesus, of course, saves him.  It is powerful imagery - being saved from harsh waters by our stable and powerful God.  We often feel we are sinking beneath the waves, and often such a feeling comes soon after we were so certain about something.  We think we need to "sink or swim", but there is another option...trust in our God and ask Him to save us...and He certainly will. 

"Those in the boat worshipped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God'"

There is still work to be done, though, and when they arrive at Gennesaret the sick come to him to be healed and to touch the fringe of his garment. 

If only people flocked to Jesus this way with such faith.  How fickle we are, like these, many of whom we can only assume later forgot all about the healing Jesus brought them.

Catechism 214-221

We have asserted part of God's nature, that He is pure being.  But He is also Truth and Love.

He is Truth in that he cannot deceive, and is the author of life, the universe and everything (not to be confused with the book by Douglas Adams)  Every truth we can possibly know can only be known because God created it.

He is Love in that "God Himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange."  This is why His love is steadfast...it doesn't change...it can't, because God's innermost nature consists of Love.  This is a pure love of which all other loves we know are mere shadows.  Divine love will make our romantic love, brotherly love, familial love, and any other flavor of love pale in comparison.

Tomorrow's readings:

Genesis 42-43
Psalm 27
Matthew 15:1-20
Catechism 222-231