Speak Lord: God’s working for his people

The second reading at Mass on Sunday comes from St Paul’s letter to the Romans. It is supremely confident in the goodness of God and his care for his people.

We know that by turning everything to their good, God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those he has called according to his purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory. Romans 8:28-30

• What ‘clouds’ in your life have turned out to have been important for their silver lining?
• How do you bear the image of God’s Son?

The rhetorical flourish of the final sentence of that passage is hard to resist. But how does it connect to your life?

He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.

• How does or how has God called you? And justified you? And shared with you his glory?

(For a rather lovely secular take on some of the themes of the reading, click here for a splendid rendition of the Jerome Kern/B.G.De Sylva song Look for the Silver Lining !)

Photograph is of a renaissance fresco of Jesus, Prince of Peace, from the church of Sta Maria in Cosmedin, Rome (c) Allen Morris, 2005.