Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
In the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to be at the bedside of two close friends that were close to death. As I prepared for these visits, I tried to think of what things I could bring to show each of them my love. After these experiences I realized that my presence was in fact the greatest sign of my love for them. In both of the readings today, God reminds all people that it is His presence among us that is the greatest sign of His love and concern. We are called to open our hearts and minds in order to recognize that He is right here by our side, and then we are called to share this gift- His presence- with others.
In the gospel reading, the scribes and the Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign. Jesus explains that the greatest sign is His actual presence in their midst. Because they do not open up their eyes and minds to Jesus being “God with us” they cannot comprehend God’s presence in their lives. They are not able to see the sign because of their unwillingness to believe.
In the Old Testament reading, the Israelites are fleeing from Pharaoh and his army. As they are pursued, they doubt God’s presence and His protection and cry out in anguish. God tells Moses to remind His people that Hs is there leading them, and He will bring them to freedom. Through this experience the Israelites come to know that the LORD is with them, and it is God’s very presence that makes them a people/ nation set apart.
God’s presence is in us, in others, and in all of creation, yet we do not always see Him. As I was sitting at the bedside of my dear friend, she would occasionally open her eyes and find me sitting there silently just being present to her. In these few small shared glances, I believe she knew that I was with her. Being with my friend allowed her to know that I loved her, and I wanted nothing more than just to be there by her side.
I believe that God is with us in the very same way. He waits for us to open our eyes and see Him. He wants us to know His great love and compassion for us. He wants us to recognize that there is no greater gift than His presence in our lives. Through the blessings, the perils, the sadness, and even death, God tells us that we are not alone. If we reflect on the significance of this idea- God being present in our lives- it should be a source of great hope, consolation, and courage.
The other remarkable part of this greatest gift of God’s presence is that we can bring God’s presence to others. Since God dwells in us, when we sit at the bedside of a friend or relative, we are bringing not only our presence, but Christ’s presence to them. His love, compassion, mercy and peace can flow from us to others. When we open our eyes to recognize Christ in us and with us, then we can become a conduit of this great sign to the world around us.
"Loving Father, Jesus is the greatest sign of Your love for us. He shows us how we are called to share this love and presence with the world. Through the grace of Your Spirit, helps us to see with our hearts and minds Your loving presence in us and the world around us. May we then take this gift and share it with others and thereby give you glory. We pray this through Christ our LORD. Amen."
- Marylynn Herchline