God’s Timing is Everything

Reflection Date: March 20, 2026 | Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Daily Readings: Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22; John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Children of God:
The Jewish people celebrated several important feasts each year. 

Traditionally, there were three major pilgrimage feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. 

These feasts required Jewish men to go up to Jerusalem. 

Among them, the Feast of Tabernacles, also called Sukkot, was one of the most joyful celebrations. 

It remembered the time when Israel lived in tents in the desert after leaving Egypt. 

For seven days, families stayed in temporary shelters to recall how God protected them in the wilderness. 

It was both a harvest festival and a spiritual reminder of dependence on God. 

People thanked the Lord for crops and for covenant faithfulness. 

Jerusalem would become crowded and alive with pilgrims. 

The feast reminded everyone that life is a journey and that God journeys with his people. 

It celebrated trust in God’s provision.

In the gospel of John, Jesus also went up to Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles. 

At first, he did not go publicly, but later he went quietly. 

Some people questioned him and asked where he came from. 

Others tried to arrest him. Yet no one laid a hand on him because, as the gospel said, “his hour had not yet come” (John 7:30). 

What are our inspirations for today?

First, Trust God’s timing even when others question you.

Jesus did not act according to pressure from people. 

Some wanted him to show himself boldly. Others doubted him and criticized him.

He moved according to the Father’s will.

The gospel clearly stated that no one arrested him because his hour did not yet come (John 7:30). 

There was a divine schedule behind the events.

In our life, people sometimes pressure us. They question our decisions. They misunderstand our silence or our waiting. 

But we remember that not everything needs immediate reaction. 

We trust that God works even in delay.

Second, Stay faithful even when you are misunderstood.

Many in Jerusalem said they knew where Jesus came from. They thought they understood his background. 

Because of that, they doubted his identity.

Jesus continued teaching. He did not allow misunderstanding to stop his mission. 

He remained steady and faithful to what the Father entrusted to him.

We experience similar moments. People label us. They think they know our story. Yet God knows our heart. 

We continue doing what is right even when others do not see the whole picture.

As we reflect today, we ask ourselves: Do I rush ahead of God’s timing because of pressure? Do I lose heart when others misunderstand me? Do I remain faithful to my mission even when recognition does not come?

Children of God:
We live in a world full of pressure and noise. We often want quick answers and quick results. 

But faith teaches us patience. Faith teaches us steadiness. Faith teaches us to trust that our hour rests in God’s hands. 

Let us walk calmly in our own journey. 

Let us trust the One who guides our time.