Friday of week 27 in Ordinary Time
Reading: Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2
The prophet Joel speaks of “the day of the Lord” as a moment of deep reckoning, a time that feels dark not because God desires destruction, but because humanity has distorted His image. When people imagine God merely as a judge to fear or a distant being to ignore, His coming appears as darkness rather than light. Yet this darkness reveals our misunderstanding: it exposes how far our hearts have drifted from the truth of who God is. The day of the Lord is meant to awaken, not to annihilate; it calls us to rediscover the God of mercy, justice, and love. When our perception of God changes, when we see Him as a Father who longs for our return, the same day that once seemed terrifying becomes a day of grace and renewal. True conversion begins when we allow God to correct not only our sins but our image of Him. Let’s reflect: Do I view God through the lens of fear and judgment, or through the light of truth and mercy that brings renewal and hope?
Don Giorgio