“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!” (Romans 11:33) This is a beautiful scripture verse! When we think of depth or immensity, our minds often turn to the ocean or the universe. Their immense scale has always filled humanity with wonder. Standing before something so vast and inscrutable, we feel both awestruck and humbled.

If contemplating the vastness of the physical world evokes such wonder, how much more should we marvel at the infinite depth of God's riches, wisdom, and knowledge? This is the very sentiment St. Paul captures. He acknowledges the absolute depth of God’s wisdom while admitting that its scale is beyond human understanding. 

Expanding on this, St. John Chrysostom observed that God’s judgments are not simply hard to comprehend—they are entirely unsearchable. Likewise, His paths are not just difficult to know, but impossible to fully trace. 

Understanding the context of St. Paul's profound exclamation is essential. In last Sunday’s second reading, St. Paul reflects on Israel's refusal to embrace the Gospel he proclaimed. As his fellow countrymen turned away, St. Paul carried the message to the Gentiles, making their initial rejection an instrument for the salvation of others. 

St. Paul did not abandon his desire for the salvation of his fellow Jews; rather, he sought to prompt them to jealousy so they might embrace the Gospel. This leads St. Paul to his ultimate conclusion: “Just as you [Gentiles] once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may [now] receive mercy. For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all” (Romans 11:30–32).

Following these very words, St. Paul bursts into the glorious praise we heard today. His exclamation marks the conclusion to the first major section of Romans—the opening eleven chapters.

You have likely noticed that for several weeks now, our second readings have been excerpts from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans. We have been reading from it for eleven Sundays, and we will continue for three more. Throughout these past eleven Sundays, our readings have come from the first section of the letter, which focuses on theology and doctrine. The excerpts over the next three Sundays will come from the second section, which focuses on the practical application of Christian living. 

The Letter to the Romans holds a place of immense significance within the New Testament. It represents the first systematic attempt by a Christian theologian to unpack the mystery of salvation. Because of its depth, Romans can be a challenging read for casual Bible students.

As we continue to reflect on the Letter to the Romans, we give thanks to Almighty God for St. Paul’s teachings. Today, we join him in awe, praising the immensity of God’s wisdom and knowledge. St. Paul’s teachings help us explore the inscrutable nature of God’s mystery, though we can never fully comprehend it in this life. As St. Thomas Aquinas observed, eternity itself will be a journey into God’s infinite mystery, one we will never fully exhaust. Knowledge of God is a grace He bestows on those He loves—specifically, those who remain humble. 

Let us ask the Lord to grant us the grace to always stand in awe and humility before the depth and richness of His wisdom and knowledge.