16th Sunday after Pentecost 12 September 2021 Finding God
We cannot give away the Faith. If we had a sign out the front offering Free Beer we would attract a lot of people. But if we advertise Eternal Life available here – not much response!
There are strange distortions in human desire. We want the wrong things and dismiss the right ones.
This is the result of past sins which cumulatively obscure the way forward.
Make straight the way of the Lord, as the Prophets say. May we be able to iron out all the distortions and truly recognize what we have.
Why is it so hard to find God?
There is a sense in which God hides Himself , such as in the Song of Songs where the bride has to go looking for her Beloved. Or in the way that Our Lord was missing for three days.
This is a challenge for us who already believe but still have to look for a deeper perception of God's presence.
But many will not even look for Him, placing their hopes elsewhere, but never successfully.
We are commanded to love God above all else, but many would much prefer to love the ‘all else’. God is not first for them, nor anywhere near first.
If I do not love God it is because I do not know Him. To know Him is to love Him.
This is what St Paul is praying for (epistle, Ep 3,13-21) that people will know what treasure they possess.
We love what is loveable. God is more loveable than anything He has created but how do we get to appreciate Him properly.
We are distracted by other things which present themselves more obviously.
We have never had so many distractions as there are now. Some are legitimate, some not, but they can all serve to prevent our coming to know God better.
They make us think we are too busy for God.
How do we reach the real God? The first and last thing is prayer - even if we are not sure He is listening. The answers will come.
Then straight obedience. Do whatever He tells you (Jn 2, 5).
Then Give thanks for past blessings, which we do as the Church, and individually.
Throughout all this we develop patience and work towards the desired state. It will take time for most people, but it is always possible.
God is invisible but we see His works everywhere
God is intangible … but we learn what love is from other people (such as parents), and we can learn to trust God.
God is inaudible. We have His word, and that means we can ‘hear’ Him. We know what He says, and what He wants.
For an ongoing relationship of trust we have past miracles, wise teachings, and examples of fervent love found in the lives of the saints.
A lively sense of God's presence will enable us to live this life with all its twists and turns, and without losing our balance.
People question God and everything about Him. We have to remember the lowliness of our position. To question God too boldly is to be like someone in the dark of the cellar pronouncing on the qualities of sunlight.
If we had not sinned God would be blindingly obvious to us, and we would quickly understand His ways, at least as they relate to us.
We can help answer St Paul’s prayer by being receptive to what God is offering us. That you may know also the charity of Christ, which surpasses all knowledge.
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