Thus says the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. (Is 48:17-19)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120922.cfm
Sometimes we act as if we were masters of the world charting our own destiny. I remember the lesson my Mexican madrecita taught me one day when I was telling her of all the things I planned to do. She reminded me, “Primero Dios” (If God wills). In Colombia folks say, “Si Dios quiere,” (If God wants). We all need the friendly reminder from the prophet that God will teach us what is for our good, and lead us on the way we should go. It’s not always the way we would choose, but it is the path God has chosen for us. Faith is not about imposing our will on the world, rather faith is about being molded by God’s will for our lives. Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin received the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe in December, 1531. And together with Our Lady of Guadalupe, he followed the way of her Son.
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, December 9
