Providence to the Rescue

The beauty of our premises here at Our Lady of the Angels is a marvelous tribute to God’s Providence and daily reminder of His love. Divine Providence is a powerful manifestation of the Father’s care, power, and love in the tiny and giant events of our lives. It is a challenge to see the good, and possible good, in every circumstance; but it is so worth the effort to believe, that “all works for our good” – because it’s true! The daily manifestations of Providence especially in the middle of the day-to-day humdrum astonish us, and teach us that God is in everything.

The daily recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours encases our day in the praise of His Goodness, and offers us luminous lessons from the saints. These writings are vibrant with light, pushing us to be alive, abandoned, and trustful to Our Father. Pope Saint Clement (who’s feast we celebrated November 23^rd) eloquently declares “[h]ow blessed, how wonderful, are God’s gifts! Life with immortality, glory with righteousness, truth with confidence, self-control with holiness: all these are the gifts that fall within our understanding. What then are those gifts that are in store for those who wait for Him? Only the most holy Creator and Father of the ages knows their greatness and their splendor.” We have a Father Who wants our sanctification, our wholeness, and our peace – gifts that truly enrich and ennoble one’s soul in the image and likeness of God! Is this not what each of us fervently and silently pines for? Sometimes we forget to be bold with God. We stuff our hands in our pockets, so to speak, instead of raising them high and open, ready and expectant for the joy He wishes to inundate us with. But this takes faith and acceptance in what He wills to deliver to us. God sends consolation and He also sends us trials, all for our eternal good. We can trust in His wisdom. He is Our Father. “If our mind is fixed on God through faith, if we are diligent in seeking what is pleasing and acceptable to Him, if we fulfill what is according to His blameless will and follow the way of truth, casting away from ourselves all that is not holy” these “promised gifts” (Pope St. Clement) will be ours, and more besides.

The day before Thanksgiving found the kitchen a focus of excitement with our sisters busily preparing for our dear traditional feast. Amidst the flurry of activity, it was discovered that our commercial kitchen refrigerator was struggling to maintain a proper cooling temperature. While our gallant service men tackled this issue, the freezer decided to die too. The humor was not lost to us since the timing of both broken appliances could not have been better. Since they broke down while help was at hand, the Thanksgiving Day meal was saved and the added drama made our pumpkin pie a tastier treat since it could have suffered the fate of spoiled milk! This was truly an experience of God’s care for the smallest details of life!

The Eternal Father beckoned Saint Catherine of Sienna to “fall in love with [His] Providence.” Isn’t it true: only a lover catches details that often are missed by others? Love gives us the insight to perceive deeper and the wisdom to live paradoxes. We live differently when we are in love, we see truth, we see goodness, and we see God in everything. The Father wished Saint Catherine (and us) to wonder at His unfolding plan with such eyes.

P.S. As this post was in progress, the boiler, which heats water for the kitchen, gave out! We found some ironic delight in not only simmering the turkey gravy on the stove, but hot water for the Thanksgiving dishes as well!