Predestination. So, let’s start in eternity past with predestination, namely Ephesians 1:5–6. The passage says:
“He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, TO the praise of his glorious grace …"
So, grammatically, the purpose and reason of our existence is portrayed here. And what is ultimate, grammatically? This little prepositional phrase “TO” in Ephesians 1:6, and that is what is ultimate in reality. I love it when I find hidden pearls in these nitty-gritty things called conjunctions, nouns, adjectives, verbs, prepositions, and prepositional phrases, which speak of massive realities.
Here we have that God predestined us to a certain end.
What end? -Well, that we might be adopted into his family; that may become children of God.
How did he do it? -He did it through Jesus Christ.
Who decided that? Whose idea was that? -It corresponds with the kind intention of his Will. God wanted it.
And to what end did he do all of that? It says, “unto the praise of the glory of his grace” (Ephesians 1:6).
He did it for his praise. He did it to get our praise. He did it for his name to be exalted, specifically here, for the quality of his grace to be exalted.
We will spend eternity making much of God and his grace. Then, he will be the focus of everything, and he should be now because that is what he designed the world for, and that is why he brought us to existence.
Providence is the name we give to the care God shows in watching over his own. St John Damascene asserts that “Providence is also God's will in giving to each thing the direction it should take. Since divine Providence is God's will, everything that happens providentially has to be most excellent and worthy of God, and must happen in the best possible way." “Hence, trust in God means having faith, no matter what happens, going beyond appearances. The charity of God –whose love for us is eternal– lies behind every event, though at times in a manner that is hidden to us." St. Josemaría.
We are right to trust completely in our Father God. We may not always understand why certain things happen; we may not grasp why they should be so, especially when they do not fit in with our way of thinking; but it is then that we need to offer filial surrender, abandoning ourselves into God's hands like a child who knows that his father always gives him what is best. Sometimes a child is attracted by things that could do him harm; and his father, even though he knows the child is going to be disappointed, has to say no. The child may not understand, but it is for his own good. Everything that happens to us is good and right for us: for those who love God all things work together for the good.
Video: