Plotting Good

A reflection on the joy of Christ’s Resurrection by Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB

If the evil one plots evil against others, I think that God must all the more plot our good. Now have you ever heard of anybody plotting good for another? No, because “good” doesn’t seem like it’s something to hide. “Plotting” implies that you’re creeping around waiting for the moment to do something; well what if that’s exactly what God is doing? What if God is just waiting for the right moment to plop good into our laps? I think He likes to keep us waiting sometimes so that we are all the more surprised when the good happens. It’s like when you turn around and you find unexpectedly delightful. There are so many ways in which God plots good for us, and if we can join Him in that and look for the little good we can do for each other, then we are participating in that joy of Christ’s giving.

After Jesus’ Resurrection He is really funny; His personality really seems to delight in surprising people. Think of that wonderful image of Christ sitting on the beach making breakfast for His friends, telling them how to have more success with their fishing efforts, and just waiting for them to catch on to the fact that it is Him (John 21). We will be able keep our minds on the good things if we try to imitate Christ’s example of plotting good, always thinking of ways we can surprise one another with unexpected acts of love.

It seems that God is continually plotting good for our community, as experienced this month with the blessings of Sister Marie Thérèse taking the Benedictine habit and our postulant Kathryn receiving her veil.