God's Plan is the Top Priority

 
“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans”
Have you ever sat down and planned things out, every detail, only to have life change everything on you? And all of a sudden you realize, you are not in charge!!

Or

Do you live and work with this mentality of achievement and competition, self-demonstration and career, climbing that ladder is the only goal and have done all that but then when you reach the top, you feel even more so ‘unfulfilled’?, more restless, needing more and more??

What is the top priority for a believer, the Christian disciple? The disciple must ask: ‘who is in charge? The answer is God, hence, God’s plan is the top priority. Our challenge is to discern what God's plan is for us and fulfill it.
 
Abraham and Sarah are a model couple. They are faithful to Yahweh and are next to none, yet they are so unfulfilled. In Genesis 15:3, Abraham voices frustration after God himself makes these grand plans for him. He says to God: ‘see you have given me no offspring (no child)’. Abraham and Sarah were in their old age without a child. (Being childless in the ancient world of the scriptures is a bad omen or perceived as a curse! The ancient world values progeny. Abraham is nobody in his world. He must be despised by his peers.

Yet despite all this, Abraham does nor flinch in his fidelity to God. (God is his top priority).

Today as we listen, three strangers visit him. He is quick on his feet to provide a good meal for them. Because of his abundant kindness at the end of the meal, one of the strangers asks:

"Where is your wife Sarah?"
He replied, "There in the tent."
The he said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year,
and Sarah will then have a son."
 

Who is this? How did he know Sarah is childless?

A little further in the reading, it says Sarah laughed at hearing that she would bear a child! Yet God is indeed the one who has the last laugh. God’s promise stands. His plan will come to fruition. Because Abraham is faithful, he will ripe the fruits of God’s plan and be part of it.  Nothing will stand in the way!

There is much commentary that has been done of the Gospel text of Martha and Mary. We oftentimes even read into this text too much, as much trying to see ourselves as Martha or Mary. And why does Jesus say that Mary has chosen the better part? The idle one?

We live in a society of Doers! And Martha’s attitude is not unimportant at all! Yet the point of Jesus’ words is much more: Listening to the Word of God, giving it utmost attention first is the better thing to do. The word of God then gives thrust and impetus and meaning to our actions.

God requires us to give him top priority.
 
What is the top priority of a husband and wife? Mutual concern of one another and from this will flow harmony in the family. If, however, the top priority is other interests and preoccupations, that couple will fall apart sooner or later.

Children are the top priority of parents. But if parents buy themselves other things, what happens?

Leaders who prioritize the service of others are different from leaders whose priority is self-gratification or their own plans!!

The Eucharist and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, demonstrate what is Jesus’ top priority.  At Gethsemane, even though is pained, he asks that God’s will (plan) be done. To therefore partake of the body and blood of Christ is to share the vision of Christ. The top priority is God’s plan.

We pray for the gift of discernment to always choose God’s plan as our top priority.

Fr. Anthony Mpagi,
Pastor of Our Lady of Hope