A reading from the gospel according to John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30:
1 Jesus moved about within Galilee; he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him.
2 But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.
10 But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret.
25 Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, “Is he not the one they are trying to kill?
26 And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?
27 But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.”
28 So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
29 I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”
30 So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.
Reflection: His hour had not yet come.
The gospel reading above narrates one of the many encounters of Jesus with His opponents. He was preaching openly to reveal Himself as the one sent by the Father and the religious authorities who tried to arrest and kill Him. Their evil plan could not push through simply because it was not the right time. It won’t happen unless the Lord has planned it (Lamentations 3:37).
In many important endeavors, timing is not only important but it could be the only consideration for a plan to be put into action. It is the same thing with our prayer. Many times, God does not grant our petition because it is not good for us at the present moment. The key is to be patient and persistent. Keep on doing what we believe is best for the time being. When the right time comes, everything will fall into place. Yet, only God knows the right time. That is why we need to trust in Him.
The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). There is absolutely no need to rush. The present moment is to be enjoyed. We may dislike what is happening right now but many situations are out of our control. Hence, we do what needs to be done and accept whatever we can’t do. That is the secret of happiness: doing our mission to the best of our abilities and entrusting to God all the rest.
