Who Has Known God’s Mind?

Written on: September 9, 2025

Introduction to the liturgy of the 23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, at the Medical Mission Sisters’ Chapel in Fox Chase on Sunday, September 7, 2025

By Sister Eileen White, GNSH

Welcome all – those present and those on Zoom.

September 1^st, or the next Sunday, that is, today, marks the celebration of “Creation Day”.  Which inspires the larger season of Creation that flows from it. First inspired by the Orthodox Church, it was later embraced in 2008 by the World Council of Churches and finally, by the Catholic Church in 2015 and even by the Philadelphia Archdiocese this year!  At first, I thought that there seemed to be no connection between today’s readings and the Season of Creation, but I took a closer look and more silence.

The first reading for today’s liturgy asks the question:

What person can have knowledge of the counsel of God, or who can discern what the will of the Lord is? (Book of Wisdom 9:13)

The writer goes on to speak of how hard it is to know the things of earth, much less the things of heaven. On the other side of the globe, people will witness a lunar eclipse, which we have a few clues now about what causes that, but what about all the other mysteries of the universe? But then, the writer of the Book of Wisdom gives this powerful answer:

Who could ever have known your counsel if you had not given Wisdom and sent your Holy Spirit from on high? And thus the paths of those on earth were straightened, and people were taught what pleases you.  (Book of Wisdom 9:18)

We HAVE the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We HAVE been given the Wisdom to know what is urgent, what is necessary, what need to be our priorities regarding our Earth home. AND THUS THE PATHS OF THOSE ON EARTH will be straightened, if we can just LISTEN and act.

The responsorial psalm is a favorite of the Grey Nuns:

In every age, You have been our refuge, our hope. (Psalm 90)

We beg God to keep on teaching us to number our days so that we may receive the wisdom of God.

When I first read the gospel for today, I thought to myself – Ye gads!  What to say about THIS?! I got a little caught up in the guys needing to plan ahead before starting to build a tower or send an army into battle, but these were the real words about PRIORITIES.

If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:25, 33)

Wow! I turned to Father Ron Rolheiser and he turned to Father James Martin. They reflect on what it means to take up your cross, that is, to put God and the wisdom of God FIRST.

They suggest that taking up our cross daily, giving up our lives, keeping God FIRST in our priorities, walking with Jesus – means:

• Accepting that suffering, pain, inconvenience, loss, conflict – are all part of life
• They say we must accept other deaths before our physical death – daily deaths. Some are really terrible – like losing a child. Some are really awful, like losing a job, losing your home. Some are just a pain in the neck – like putting up with an annoying colleague or father-in-law.
• Putting God first means that we must wait for the resurrection. Endure the waiting. It can seem interminable!
• It means that we need to accept that God always answers our prayers, but not necessarily in the way we expect or want. We have to be open to the God of surprises.
• Carrying our cross, putting God’s wisdom first means that we have to believe that nothing is impossible with God.

So, I ask myself — “Are there any relationships, possessions, any part of my life – that is keeping me from God’s wisdom and love?”

Who can know the mind of God?  To God be the glory forever.

These are some of my thoughts. What are yours?

This entry was posted in Matters of Faith and tagged: Introduction to the Liturgy, Medical Mission Sisters' Chapel, Season of Creation, Sister Eileen White GNSH, Who Has Known God's Mind