Everything is under God’s control, Angels: Day 039

Everything is under God’s control

When  all the forces of  nature and even the angels themselves seem to be arrayed against us, says St. Gregory the Great, we must remember that it is not the things acting of  themselves,  but God arranging everything for the true good.

All things continue to exist in God, by whom they were created. Things that live do not owe their life to themselves, and things that move but do not live are not set in motion by their own whim. God moves all things: he gives some of them life, and preserves some that are not alive, arranging everything down to the last and lowest being in a wonderful way. All things were made out of nothing, and they would go back to being nothing if the Author of all things did not hold them by the hand of governance.

By themselves, all the things that have been created cannot either continue to exist or be moved. They exist only so far as it is given to them that they should be, and they move only so far as they are influenced by a secret impulse.

Here is a sinner ordained to be scourged by human accidents. The earth is parched in his toil—the sea is tossed to shipwreck him—the air is on fire to make him sweat—the heavens are darkened to flood on him—his fellow creatures burn with fire to oppress him—the angelic powers are stirred up against him.

Are all the inanimate things, and all the living beings, that I have mentioned here put into action by their own instincts? No, they are put into action by im- pulses from God.

Whatever is arrayed against us outwardly, we must see in it that Being who ordains it inwardly. –St. Gregory the Great,  Moralia in Job, 16.45

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

When even the angels themselves seem to be going against me, do I still have Job’s courage not to curse God?

CLOSING PRAYER

Together with all the heavenly host, O Lord, I praise you and say, Blessed are you, O God, and glory becomes you, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever.

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