Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

REFLECTION:

I have seen or heard this verse said many times — by people, families, and even teams before a big game: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” It’s one of those lines that gives us courage when we need it most. But what does it really mean?

These days, as we listen to the news about the government shutdown and the uncertainty of families losing their food or financial benefits come November 1st, that question feels even more real. We hear politicians and leaders say they are “for the people,” yet so many of the people they claim to serve are anxious about how they’ll make ends meet. In times like this, it’s easy to feel discouraged or even abandoned. But Paul’s words remind us to look beyond human promises and political systems.

When St. Paul wrote these words to the Romans, he was not in a place of comfort or privilege. He was writing to a community facing hardship and persecution. Yet instead of despair, he boldly proclaimed: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” His confidence didn’t come from what was happening around him, but from who was with him — God’s unwavering love. Paul knew that no government, no power, and no suffering could separate us from that love.

To say “God is for us” is not just a statement of faith; it’s also a call to action. If God is for us — and we are truly for God — then we are called to respond to uncertainty in the way God would want us to: with compassion, with generosity, and with love. When we lend a hand to someone struggling, offer dinner to a family who might not have enough to eat, or donate to our local food pantry, we live out the truth of this verse. We become instruments of the very love that Paul spoke about — a love that conquers fear and brings hope.

So as we face the uncertainty of these times, may this verse not just be something we recite for comfort, but a conviction that guides our choices. Because when we live as people for God, we remind the world that nothing can stand against love — not hardship, not politics, not even fear. “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Then let us be for God — in how we care, share, and stand with one another.