Reflection for the month - November

 The more I know……….the less I know

“The more I know, the more I know the less I know”.  These words, attributed to wise old Socrates, sum up much of what we still experience centuries after they were first spoken. Seemingly astounding discoveries here on earth and of worlds out in space, and almost unbelievable developments in technology, medicine and other sciences serve to remind us just how much there is to know and what little chance most of us have to know, let alone understand, the smallest part of it.
Does the same apply to our spiritual lives and beliefs?  “I believe in God the Father Almighty” These words have not changed in two thousand years even though with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and through the wisdom of many holy men and women our understanding of the goodness, the love and the merciful nature of God has greatly increased. Our belief and trust in our Creator have likewise been confirmed, but how are we ever to, ‘know’ God. The answer is that we have Jesus, but who was Jesus? When Jesus asked his immediate followers who people at large thought He was Peter, spoke up ‘You are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God’. Jesus commended him for that but said that was not Peter but God the Father giving voice to the truth of his identity.
Jesus spoke always of the authority given to him by his Father, yet he also declared that he and his father were one.  His disciples however still wanted to see the Father.  As gently as he could Jesus explained that who had seen him had seen the Father. What a wonderfully reassuring message that is for us as we have come to know more and understand that all of Jesus’ acts of compassion, the miracles, the parables of love, mercy and forgiveness were directly those of God, Our Creator, our loving and caring Father in whom we can believe and trust with complete confidence.