The Father is Doing His Work

"The Father who dwells in me is doing his works."

God is at work. Do you believe it? Do you let the Father do His work within you?

In today's Gospel, Saint Philip says, "Show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus helps him understand that since He and the Father are one, Saint Philip has already encountered the Father and witnessed the Father doing His work in and through Jesus. By virtue of our Baptism, Jesus is within us. Therefore, the Father is also at work in us.

Do you recognize God's work within you? Are you allowing Him to work in you?

I think our hearts often become closed to God working within us. It is easy to want to do everything ourselves and think that we have to do it all by ourselves or else nothing will happen and nothing will get done. It can feel frightening to surrender to something that takes faith to believe, especially if we are unsure that this Presence is truly with us, working for and in us for our good.

Despite all my years as a Christian, Jesus could replace my name with that of Saint Philip's in today's Gospel, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?" Like Saint Philip, I think my actions do not always show that I truly believe in God's saving power or His loving presence in my life. However, through Philip's lack of understanding, Jesus more deeply explains that whoever believes in Him will do His works and even greater ones than He has performed. Jesus assures Saint Philip, "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it."

And even through our lacking understanding and belief, God draws close to us to increase our faith and bring about a plan of goodness in our lives. If only we allow the Father to do His work within us.

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On this special feast day, we ask the intercession of Saints Philip and James that each of us may more deeply increase in faith and joyfully surrender ourselves to our Loving Father who is accomplishing His plan of goodness within us.

Mary Catherine Craige is a lover of creativity and learning new things. When she is not guiding the development of young children through Montessori methods, you can find her behind her harp, taking an art class, or writing silly poems. You can find out more about her here.