November 15, 2015

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – A reflection by Fr. Leo

 

The gospel closes with the words, "But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."  That hour is the coming of Christ.  The reason no one knows the hour Christ is coming is because he is already here.  We don’t have to wait for God to come, or go looking for God.  God his here now!

 

What is the case is that we don’t know when we will be graced with recognition of the presence of God. God breaks into our lives, often beyond reason, and opens our eyes, our consciousness, to his divine presence.  This is what the mystics speak of when they attempt to share their experience of God that comes to them in a moment that may be fleeting, but lasting forever in the transformed soul.

 

The Kingdom of God is the presence of God.  It is not coming, it is now.  As spiritual men and women we seek the presence of God in all things and at some moment may be graced with a ‘knowing’ that is beyond words.  It may be during a walk, a quiet moment at a liturgy, or when driving in our car.  When we are still inside and can contemplate the presence of God, a sunset or sunrise may suddenly move us in a wordless way beyond ourselves. In that moment, some awareness overwhelms us and changes us because what we have experienced in never leaves us and the new ‘knowing’ becomes a part of our new consciousness going forward. 

 

In some ways I think of my Aunt Gennie who was buried Friday in La Crosse, Wisconsin.  On her death bed she didn’t need to call for a priest, she called for a last martini.  She simply wanted to enjoy her life as she had, smiling on the faces of her children.  In that sense, she already lived in the Kingdom of God, making the transition to the next level of life with nothing to fear.  May we all die as we have lived — in the presence, mystery, and glory of God.