“Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek [the Lord’s] face!’ Your face, Lord, do I seek.”–Psalm 27:8
In this year of Mercy, I am struck by the invitation we are given this year, that is, to experience or encounter Mercy.
“Mercy: The word reveals the very mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us. Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path of life. Mercy: the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness.”–Pope Francis, Miseriecordiae Vultus, 2.
St. Benedict in his Rule for Beginners, asks the follow of Christ to attend a way of life “with the ear of your heart.” God loves each one of us, beckoning us into a relationship that is communal, yet personal, intimate, yet inclusive and faithful, yet inquisitive. God calls out to us into mission/ministry to share in the divine life. Through our sharing in the divine life, we share in extending God’s healing presence to all. Various traditions see the heart as something more than the physical nature; it sees the heart as the core of the person, at the center of the body, touching all of the body, mind, soul and spirit. When we draw together with truly listening hearts, we enter into communion with one another and with God.
God speaks to us through the language of everyday events. In these moments that, when we are attentive we are called to live even more deeply the divine relationship. We see the face of God, through our encounters with the people we meet. We continue to see God’s face in the person who celebrates milestones along the journey or when we walk with someone who is struggling to get through the day.
In order to hear the Lord speak and to see God’s face, we must create that space to be able to be attentive to the voice of God calling out to us in the encounters of our day. As a we go through our days, we must find ways in which we continue to open the reception room for God and others.
- In your daily life, how can you create an environment that gives space to listening to the hearts of family, friends, the people you meet along the way and co-workers?
- How do we open that reception room in our hearts to encounter the face of God through the everyday events and encounters?
Ordinary Glimpse 