Forgive my terrible paraphrase of Genesis 50: 20 when Joseph assures his brothers that he will not retaliate after they basically sold him into slavery. This reading was from today’s mass. It always resonates with me and I relate it to St Paul’s Letter to the Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

This is easier said than believed. I have been through things that were and are still very hard – we all have I am sure. And yet to believe these bible readings then all things work for the good and though x y and z meant evil to me it is good?

Yes, though- in many ways I can say yes it is. Without all of the bad / evil, would I be where I am today with my faith? I can tell you right off the bat I would not still be married if not for the grace of God.

Despite this, I still worry or get caught up in what if or why. I do not know why but I know with a big screen view of the ups and downs and very bad things I was helped through them by God. And today, the Gospel tells us that we are to be afraid of no one. That God knows us and that, “Even all the hairs of your head are counted.”

The key to being a follower of Jesus is I think to not worry about anything to be resigned for whatever comes to you as it is from God. Now do I do that- I just admitted I do not. I am trying and I have a very good teacher – Mary, our Mother. She spent her life doing just that accepting God’s will saying yes to Him but in a much more beautiful way than I can explain. She just said yes to God and then said yes her whole life. And in her yes was complete and utter trust and surrender to the will of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Lord, help me be more like Mary and say yes to You in trust and surrender.

I think of St Theresa of Avila and her passionate relationship with God. She told Him one day while conversing with Him, “…if this is how You treat Your friends it is no wonder You have so few of them!” Of course it was acceptable – she is now a Doctor of the Church. Her books such as The Interior Castle are absolutely amazing at making simpler the relationship we all should have with God.

As Mother Angelica told us if we are in a state of grace and live our lives with weekly mass and love of God, the Blessed Trinity resides in us.

It is definitely time for me to listen to St Theresa of Avila and Mother Angelica and to make more time to talk to God and always to give Him thanks and sometimes say as Saint Theresa did, “…it’s no wonder You have so few of them…” but to continue trusting, loving and surrendering to Him. Fiat