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Writer's pictureElpidio Pezzella

Beyond our Smallness

Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?

Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?

(gro 144:3 NKJV)

Those who have matured awareness of God and of the need to relate to Him, sooner or later begin to measure themselves, that is to look at their condition with honest eyes, stripping off all the veils of appearance. Meanwhile, everything that happens around us on a daily basis is only able to feed the sense of mistrust in the human being, more and more withdrawn into himself and unable to produce actions in the interest, if not of all, of others. When, as inhabitants of the same world, we can do little or nothing in the face of meteorological phenomena or the jolts of the planets, we perhaps feel abandoned to a higher government. Others, on the other hand, claim the right to take it out on Who would stand by and watch, while you are there to consider the meaning of life, the purpose of your days. The attitude of the person praying expressed by the words of the Psalms is that of one who, although lacking answers on the nature and conduct of man, still manages to perceive the hand of the Creator on himself, to recognize it intent on ordering and arranging the path again. unknown, but lying there before his feet. If the right words to describe human action, its goal, are lacking, faith ascertains and assures the pilgrim that God has known him since the womb, beyond what current events or the history of the family can tell. Beyond the number of our days, we cannot deny that we still remain a faint breath in general existence, of confronting ourselves every day with the precariousness of life and the growth of diseases, which despite all the scientific progress and medical research, never we will definitely eradicate.


"What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?" (Psalms 8:4). The certainty that God takes care of it, takes it into account and even visits it is inherent in the fearful heart. Yes, I think I know what you are thinking right now. You are among those who reluctantly declare that you are struggling to be so certain right now. Indeed, as certainty fades, doubts and insecurities find room. The biblical text in providing us with the story of the one who will be the progenitor of Christ, tells us that Naomi had two sons: Mahlon and Chilion (husband of Ruth), names that mean "sick" and "weak". The two, like their father, do not have a long life, leaving two widows to face the journey of life in solitude. Their strength will reveal Ruth's attitude of not abandoning her elderly mother-in-law, unlike her other daughter-in-law Orpah, and of accompanying her on the journey that will prove to be particularly profitable for the world to come. Once again the Bible tries to tell us that behind every adversity there can be an opportunity. We do not see it in the present, but we should trust those who are out of the world and out of time are preparing for tomorrow. Ruth accompanies her elderly mother-in-law and in her foreign country she will find what her heart had not hoped for and her mind remotely imagined.


This week many have scanned the sky for "shooting stars" to associate a wish. Yet it is nothing more than the "debris" of a comet. Even in celestial space we are capable of overturning values. We seek a glow as entire galaxies have been placed in the crown of our head. To steal a trail in the sky it is necessary to place yourself in a dark place, otherwise it will be a useless effort. Yes, because we have also polluted the darkness with our artificial lights. Beyond this, I would like you to consider how darkness also has its importance, as a reality devoid of human artifice. If we do not learn to turn off our conditioning, to weaken the intensity of our human convictions, we will not be able with our eyes to see the beauties that shine on us and around us. This is valid for the whole creation, painted by God, for the earth and what it contains as well as for the sky. Just when the darkness takes over, here you will see the stars, the moon, the sun shine. You will discover that you are never alone, and like the psalmist you will ask yourself once again: "Lord, what is man, why do you take care of him?"


 

Weekly Bible Reading

Plan #34

August 15, Psalms 91-93; Romans 15:1-13

August 16, Psalms 94-96; Romans 15:14-33

August 17, Psalms 97-99; Romans 16

August 18, Psalms 100-102; 1 Corinthians 1

August 19, Psalms 103-104; 1 Corinthians 2

August 20, Psalms 105-106; 1 Corinthians 3

August 21, Psalms 107-109; 1 Corinthians 4



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