Friday 4 October 2024

Today is Friday the 4th of October, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, in the 26th week of Ordinary Time. Nick Chambers and The Porter's Gate sing, 'Where Were You?' Where were you when I laid the earth's foundations Morning stars, they sang together All the children of the heavens shouted for joy Where were you Where were you when I gave the sea it limits When I made the clouds it garments When I wrapped it up in darkness, shut behind doors Where were you Tell me, where were you when the waters split in two When the world was new When I sent the morning dew, Show me, where were you Do you know the extent of all horizons The expanse of all the oceans Have you walked these depths and edges, mountains and shores Do you know how I lead the constellations In the rhythm of the seasons And did you set free Orion to shine in the void Do you know Tell me, do you know how the light knows where to go Where the winds will blow Where the darkness makes its home? Surely, you must know I don't know. But In the whirlwind of my weakness O my God I hear you speaking And when I think of all your secrets, I shake and rejoice Today’s reading is from the Book of Job. Job 38:1;12-21; 40:3-5 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ‘Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, so that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? It is changed like clay under the seal, and it is dyed like a garment. Light is withheld from the wicked, and their uplifted arm is broken. ‘Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this. ‘Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! Then Job answered the Lord: ‘See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but will proceed no further.’ Today is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi one of our most well-loved saints who continues to be relevant in our modern world. Pope Francis has taken him as his namesake, calling him, “the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation.” In these passages from scripture, God responds to Job's questions. Like Job, Francis encountered God's majesty through nature. His Canticle of the Sun praises God for all creation, recognizing each element as a reflection of the divine. What is your first response to this passage? Do you encounter God's majesty in your daily life, taking time to marvel at the beauty and complexity of creation? When faced with the vastness of God's creation, how might you respond? Job's encounter with God ultimately leads him to an even deeper trust despite not understanding his suffering. As you listen to the passage again, consider where there are areas of your life where you need to trust God more deeply. How else does this passage speak to you? “I have spoken once, and I will not answer.” After God's response, Job chooses silence. Francis often found God in the silence and stillness. In a moment of personal reflection consider how you incorporate moments of silence and contemplation into your life. Share your thoughts with the God of All Things. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.