Recognizing God’s Presence
Monday, July 10, 2023
by Fr. David M. Knight
View readings for Monday, Week 14 of Ordinary Time (A1): https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings LECTIONARY 382 (Gn 27: 1-5, 15-29; Ps 135: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6; Mt 9: 14-17) The Responsorial (Psalm 91) gives us the source of all boldness in ministry: “In you, my God, I place my trust.” In Genesis 28: 10-22 God renews with Jacob his promise to Abraham: “The land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants… In you and your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.” And Jacob cries out, “How awesome is this place! This is the house of God.” We know that God is everywhere, not restricted to any one place: “The Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands; as the prophet says, ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.’” But there are two ways a place can become a special dwelling place of God. The first is by being “set aside from secular use to be dedicated to the godhead.” This is why we call a church the “house of God.” A second way is for God to make his presence evident in a certain place by clearly acting there. That is why Jacob set it up a memorial stone to be a shrine which he named Beth-el (God's house). (See Acts 7:48 and “sacred” and “holy” in Leon-Dufour, Dictionary of the New Testament.) Through our baptismal consecration as priests we are the special presence of God in both of these ways: Baptism “consecrated” us, “set us aside” to dwell in us. And God works in and through us as his body. That is why the living members of the Church are the living temple and house of God on earth today. “Like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood….” (1Peter 2:5; and see John 6:56; 15:5.) Matthew 9: 18-26 shows us that where Jesus is, life is. Those whom he touches in ministry come to life, whether physically or spiritually, as did the little girl when he “took her by the hand.” But we have to approach him with faith and trust, even when we think it is impossible for us to be healed or restored to life. As ministers of Christ, we never say any situation is impossible or any person beyond help. Jesus said, “I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” (John 5: 25-26.) What calls us to life is the voice of the living Jesus. We must not stop short, focused only on the words of teaching and preaching, rites and ceremonies, but listen to Jesus’ own voice coming live from the lips of his ministers. He is present in them. We should listen to them with live faith and expectant hope. “In you, my God, I place my trust.”
Initiative: Be a priest. Recognize God’s presence in yourself and others.
Reflections brought to you by the Immersed in Christ Ministry