WEDNESDAY OF 7TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YR II: reflection

Theme: The uncertainty of tomorrow versus the certainty of God

Reading: James 4:13–17

By the last months of 2019, many people had a long list of things they wanted to accomplish in 2020 and were very confident that they will vigorously pursue them as soon as they stepped into January 2020. However, the Covid pandemic that spread throughout the world in 2020 and the lockdown that followed for months negatively affected the wonderful plans people had for themselves. The world is yet to fully recover from it.

Before last weekend, the president of Iran had many plans, one of which was his threat to deal with Israel, and he was serious about it, with his plans apparently well-thought out. Little did he know that death was waiting for him in the air last Sunday.

Cases like the ones above were what St James considered and deemed it wise to call our attention in today’s first reading to be careful about speaking with absolute certainty about our tomorrows. Indeed, we are human beings with limitations, and one of the most significant of these limitations is our inability to predict what will happen next second with certainty.

According to St. James, we should not be arrogant or boastful about our tomorrow’s plans as if they depend solely on us for their realization; rather, we should entrust all of our tomorrow’s plans and projects to the One who sees and knows with absolute certainty about the beginning and end of everything, which is God. He wants us to know that our plans will only work if God wills it. Thus, we should always remember to include ‘if God wills’ when making future plans. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow, so, commit all plans to God.

This is also a good call to those who talk down on others, those who threaten to deal with others and those who ill-treat others to remember that nobody knows what tomorrow holds. The hunter of today may become the hunted tomorrow, and the oppressed of today may become the savior of tomorrow.

May God grant you the grace to achieve your goals this Wednesday

Fr Isaac Chima