God is depicted as "pulling down" those in high places because of their arrogance. Why do you think abuse of power and authority is such a perennial temptation? How have you dealt with that temptation in your own life?

Don't worry," the sign outside the Baptist church said, "God's still in charge." Everyone has experiences of leadership, at home, at work, in politics, and in the church, whether as leaders or, more often, the led. Sometimes our leaders do well, other times they fail miserably.

OUR GOD IS very much into “forever.” Maybe if you’re an eternal Being you appreciate not having to do things twice. The everlasting and abundant nature of God’s many attributes—goodness, kindness, justice, mercy, truth, power, glory, holiness—ensures that when God does a thing, it stays done.

When Jesus asked his disciples who people were saying he was, they replied with a variety of answers: John the Baptist (from those who thought John had come back from the dead); Elijah (who would show up when the kingdom of God was at hand); and Jeremiah (Jesus was acting a lot like a prophet).

At a new job I took on years ago, everyone I met in my first days mentioned how the general manager of the organization was a genius. They spoke of him in awed tones. And so when I met him, I was disappointed.

Paul calls God's judgments inscrutable. Inscrutable, indeed! Most of us see no rhyme or reason to half the events that take place each day. We don't understand how or why certain people have great power or influence and others barely have any.

We've all had the unfortunate experience of losing a key, or perhaps all of our keys. When it's happened to you, how did you feel? Panicked? Powerless? Frustrated? Shut out?

The Lord does not forsake the work of his hands. Let us place ourselves in those hands.

He strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one he was the Christ. Throughout the gospels a tension exists between keeping secret and openly declaring who Jesus was and what he did. In some cases, such as today's gospel, there was a command to keep his identity hidden.

It is through the liturgy, especially, that the faithful are enabled to express in their lives and manifest to others the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true church. --Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 1963