Reflections from the Heart – November 21, 2023

The Ascension of the Lord
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

“It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established.”  We say knowledge is power and so indeed it is in certain circumstances, when we have knowledge that others do not possess.  It seems to give us an upper hand in career advancement possibilities as well as opportunities to grow and develop specialized skillsets.  Knowledge is a helpful aid in life’s negotiations and can even assist us in those unfortunate moments when we find ourselves, in having to defend our beliefs or defend the reason or rational for the decisions and choices we made.  Learning or ascertaining certain details or obtaining more information than another does in fact provide us with a certain advantage over that person and can be most helpful in developing our daily strategies, focusing on particular paths of discernment and even provide greater wisdom in our decision-making. So what do you really know and is that information truly helpful to you?  Will your knowledge and what you know help you to get to heaven? Will your daily decisions focus on information gathered from another’s post, point of view, personal judgement, or limited perspective or will you seek the Lord for wisdom, knowledge, counsel and assistance? Is your knowledge base and information source reliable, trustworthy, and true?  Is it as reliable, trustworthy, and true as our Lord who is ever faithful, fidelity to friendship and covenant and unable to misinform you, tell an untruth or provide any falsehood?  Knowledge is powerful when used in a manner that is helpful to us in living in accordance with God’s will, intent and desire.  Knowledge of God and personally knowing him, his way, his truth, his life helps us to love God and love one another for love is who we are.  Did you know that?  Knowledge is a gift of the Holy Spirit and provides us with the grace to know God in a very personal way and even know God in and through prayer in a way that is ever more intimate and most profound.  Knowledge from God helps us to trust that God knows us. He really knows us.  God knows everything.  He knows everything about us.  Since God knows everyone and everything about you, doesn’t that mean that God is more powerful and God truly has the upper hand? If that is the case, which it is, we can trust that he knows what is best for you, for me and for our families. God does not want us to worry but to trust – he knows.