Never Doubt

When Jesus called Philip to follow him, he left all and followed right away, but when Philip told Nathanael, he questioned the call, and the caller, saying, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" (Jn 1: 46).  Jesus described him as a man without duplicity (cf. Jn 1:47), so we take it that his question was sincere.  Jesus told him that he saw him under a fig tree and he immediately exclaims that he is the Son of God, the King of Israel (Jn 1:49)...quite a jump, but again his openness and sincerity.
We might question from time to time circumstances that we tumble into, not fully understanding God's plan, but the example of Nathanael, convinces us not to doubt, but accept.
Today's saint, John Neumann is another example of a man whose plans didn't exactly go his way, but like Nathanael, he found even more than he first anticipated.  He was refused ordination in his native Bohemia since the diocese had a surfeit of priests, but coming to America with his gift for languages and his steadfast spirit, he became a Redemptorist missionary, bishop of Philadelphia and founder of the Catholic School System, all before the age of 48, when he died suddenly. He might have wondered what God had in mind when he had to leave Bohemia to fulfill his desire for the priesthood, but as with Nathanael, it worked out better than he ever anticipated. Let's follow in their footsteps as much as we can.
Bro. Rene