The Lord is teaching us the basics of spiritual life. He knows everything without our asking and expects us to put our trust in Him. Trust in God is the solid rock on which to build our lives, more solid that the vagaries of luck or good or bad fortune.
Life is a journey, and every man a traveller. Where are we going? In which direction?
We live in a finite world, but as we come to church and meet the eternal God, our world changes fundamentally, if only for a few moments; however brief, this encounter has a lasting impact, by sending us searching for Christ's way towards the Kingdom of Heaven. Our knowledge of God emboldens our spirits, by giving us the ability to believe, trust, and by restoring peace and confidence in our hearts. Without the knowledge of God, life is nothing more than a collection of experiences, sensations and things of this world. The people who do not know God will live different lives, which may even be quite exciting and filled with all sorts of pleasures. Their life journeys, however, will have the same endpoint being buried in a grave and falling into oblivion. As they live, they will be questioning themselves all the time if there is anything wrong with them; they will be tormented by worldly passions such as making more money than their neighbours and staying popular with others. They will look towards this world for satisfaction of their wants, but not to God, who asks us to trust him and follow him on the journey towards the Kingdom of Heaven.
Some of these people might wonder if they have alternatives. If they sought Him out, would He respond? If they prayed to Him, would they be heard? We can assure them wholeheartedly that the Lord will hear, and will give generously so we may be saved. We know this very well from the outpouring of God's love, this most precious gift of all, which we all felt as we took communion today. Let us all cherish this gift and pass it around generously.
I pray that every soul will come to know you eventually, o Lord, will stay loyal to You and hold on to You in this fast-changing world made up of temporary things that are doomed to death and destruction.
May God save and protect all of us.
