WEDNESDAY, October 7

In 2008, a museum discovered a previously unknown piece of music, apparently written by Mozart, as it is undeniably in the composer's own hand. A researcher said of the music, dated in the late eighteenth century, "This is absolutely new. We have new music here."

It amazes me that people will describe something from the 1700s as "new" just because they've only now discovered it. And yet, the presence of God, which predates human existence, often feels new to us. When human losses come, the fleeting nature of our priorities becomes obvious. Perhaps we begin to see God only after those losses hit home.

In such circumstances, people begin to realize that only God and God's priorities endure in eternity. When all our human priorities are endangered, we remember suddenly, "All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal." When we first see God clearly, we think of the music we're hearing as new because we have just rediscovered it. In fact, though, that haunting music goes way, way back. It was written before any of us existed. It is written in God's own hand.

PRAY for the Diocese of Tabora (Tanzania)

Ps * 128, 129, 130; 2 Kings 22:14-23:3; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34; Matthew 9:9-17

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