God is Unchangeable

Hello Everyone:

Sorry I have been away, my husband and I traveled last week to visit our daughter who is away at college. I have been reading a bit of St. Thomas Aquinas on the ways of God. I will be sharing some of these chapters with you because they are so needed by all of us. Today, I will share the wisdom he gave us on how God is unchangeable. How we need this! 

In the book of Malachias we read “For I am the Lord and I change not” (Mal 2:6); and in St. James 1:17 we read “Every best and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of light, with whom there is no change nor shadow of aberration.” Therefore, all created things bear the mark of unchangeableness; thus an angel, the soul, the heavens and the four elements, are unchangeable in their essence. And if sometimes he sends His angels, and sometimes does not send them, if sometimes he withholds grace from men, and sometimes gives it, if sometimes he avenges sin, and sometimes overlooks it, this fickleness is in creatures, and by no means in the Creator. Most of all,  the unchangeableness of his decrees will be manifested at the last day concerning the good and bad, when he will grant to the good a reward beyond their merits, and to the bad a punishment far beneath their deserts.

St. Thomas says we should therefore strive after constancy of mind, so that when broken by adversity or allured by prosperity, we may never swerve from the way of righteousness; but may say with holy Job 27:6 –“My justification, which I have begun to hold, I will not forsake”; and with the St. Paul we read in Romans 8:38-39 “For I am sure that neither death nor life… shall be able to separate us from the love of God.”

St. Thomas sadly points out that we are EXCEEDINGLY INCONSTANT in our meditations, in ordered love, in security of conscience and in an upright will. How suddenly we change from good to evil, from hope into unfounded fear; from joy into groundless sorrow; from silence to talkativeness; from seriousness to frivolity; from charity to greed and envy; from fervor to weariness; from humility into vainglory and pride; from meekness into anger; from spiritual gladness and holy affection to base and carnal love. Hardly ever do we remain an instant in the same state unless perchance we are constant in inconstancy, in ingratitude, in faults, in imperfections, in waste of time, in frivolity and in disordered thoughts and affections.

This knowledge (which is very true) should help us strive without ceasing to acquire constancy and stability of soul, so that in every step we take and every word we utter we may act wisely, sweetly and well.

Let us turn to Our Blessed Mother and ask her for constancy in virtue. May we surrender ourselves to Her and seek Her in ALL we do – before we say something, before we act, before we decide, before we move forward with anything. May She guide us to Her Son – Jesus now and forever!! And when we fail – may She guide us to repentance and to the confessional so that we may grow in God’s grace.

Mary, Help of Christians – pray for us!!

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