Lk 4:38-44 The God Touch
After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever. He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them. At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
I will never forget what happened to me when I went to Mexico to attend the beatification ceremony of Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio, the young martyr whose life was recently featured in the movie “For Greater Glory”. While I was in Sahuayo, Michoacan, I went to visit the local Church where this child would often serve at Mass. As I was heading back to the bus, a young man asked me for a blessing. I placed my hand over his head and blessed him. Then, another man came up to me and asked for my blessing. Again, I placed my hand over his head and prayed over him. When I looked up, I could not believe what I was seeing. A crowd had gathered around me. Fifty, then sixty, then nearly one hundred people surrounded me and asked me for a blessing.
Never before did I feel so needed and so wanted as in that moment and in that place. Never before did I experience such personal oneness (closeness) with Christ and His priesthood. Never before did I witness so much trust, love and devotion towards Christ.
He laid his hands on each of them. When I saw the crowd gather, I was tempted to give one big blessing, but then I asked myself what the Lord would do. It’s then that I remembered: “He laid his hands on each of them…”
The Lord gave himself; his time and attention, to every single soul that sought Him. It is this extraordinary fact and highly inefficient tactic that made Him so loveable, memorable, personable and believable to others. The Lord had no fears in allowing others to get close to Him; to get to know Him. This should not be taken lightly. After all, most celebrities keep their distances. Stages are set well above the crowd – above our abilities to jump over it. Cameras and microphones allow pop stars to easily communicate with millions of their adoring fans…and get away with it FROM A DISTANCE. Do not even think for a moment that it is for their security. Hah! It is not for their safety, it is for their sake; their image. It’s not to keep them safe and sound but to keep what is hidden from being revealed. Our sins are what make us fearful of getting too close to anyone.
Over time, I have convinced myself that if others only knew me…they would run away from me.
He stood over her. The Lord reaches out to us. And even though He knows us, He continues to love us. Though He was without sin, He does not shy away from us. Instead, He over reaches to get to us so that we can’t help but touch Him, know Him and be saved by Him. His light is what shines all over my heart, mind, body and soul. His light dispels the darkness in my life. Idols are incredibly insecure people. They do not want us to know them for who they really are. They prefer to cover their eyes with sunglasses, even during the night.
When you leave this earth, how many people will have known you intimately, personally and affectionately? Two? Three? A handful? Is this a bad thing? Not at all! Not at all if it was for good, and better yet if it was for worse.
Do you realize that the Lord was known intimately by just a few people? But boy…look at what they did with that knowledge!
Regardless of how long we live: ten years, thirty years, fifty years, even one hundred years, we will only be intimately and personally known by just a few.
Some people may get to know me with blood samples; others by my size, height, width, DNA, look or feel or some weird Freudian measuring stick. Still others may even get to know me by what I wrote, said and did. But only a few will ever know me by heart. And if only a few ever got to know me by heart, then I can truly imagine only One who would have known me better than I knew myself; who would have known what I was capable of before I was ever formed in my mother’s womb. (cf. Jer 1:5)
This is the God touch.
Some people may get to know me with blood samples; others by my size, height, width, DNA, look or feel or some weird Freudian measuring stick. Still others may even get to know me by what I wrote, said and did. But only a few will ever know me by heart. And if only a few ever got to know me by heart, then I can truly imagine only One who would have known me better than I knew myself; who would have known what I was capable of before I was ever formed in my mother’s womb. (cf. Jer 1:5) - How inspiring and very deep Father Alfonse!
ReplyDeleteWhat is beautiful is God's touch is so real. I felt it today. My life is not easy...I have not taken the easy road, I follow Christ. Today I was exhausted. The lack of sleep and just plain exhausted from being the care giver to many, with no worldly paycheck and not necessarily any thanks or praise in return. Lately, I have been feeling very overwhelmed to the point of pure exhaustion which brings tears. I lay on the couch just trying to close my eyes for a few moments while babies rested, it was then that I felt God's presence. A hand pressed onto my shoulder and the words, "I am here for you". Even when I am so far away from the ones I love, He is with me always...my strength, my rock, my love.
ReplyDeleteOur sins are what make us fearful of getting too close to anyone. I couldn't agree more!
ReplyDelete"Over time, I have convinced myself that if others only knew me…they would run away from me."
ReplyDeleteIf you are speaking about yourself, Father, I certainly would love to get to know you more personally and intimately despite your weaknesses, insecurities, and bad habits. (I think you're writing in italics as if someone else is thinking these thoughts??) There have been times in my life I've desperately wanted to be closer to people: Be their friend and confidant. I have so much love and warmth to share; however, some people build up the brick wall and want little to do with me. I always thought it was something wrong with me. Now I realize it could very well be their own insecurities.
Is fear the only reason you won't allow others to get close to you? Is it lack of self worth that allows you to only reveal snippets of your true self? Don't you think it takes more energy to hide your shortcomings, faults and weaknesses than to let them be known? I'm sure many people, including myself, have trouble with genuine intimacy. There's a good reason why I'm still unmarried today. I cannot form a special bond with a man since I fear he will see my ugliness and run away never to return. I do not want to become another divorce statistic like my own parents.
The "God touch" is something so wonderful and special. That intimate bond with Our Lord is so fulfilling if I can only open up my heart to him. Lately, I've had the worst time connecting with God. I feel he's distant from me. I attribute this to huge anxieties I experience over my job and finances. Nothing worse than being in a dead in job with the desire to do something more fulfilling, but new opportunities are not yet available. I feel stuck and in a rut with my life going nowhere. I desperately want to feel God's loving hand on my shoulder. It's gotta be there. I just can't feel it because I'm so overwhelmed with my burdens.
If you are speaking about yourself, Father, I certainly would love to get to know you more personally and intimately despite your weaknesses, insecurities, and bad habits- I feel the same way Anonymous ;)
ReplyDeleteGood Bless u My Father ! ;)
God's touch is so real - Yes it is very much.I felt it today when I was teaching my Catechism Class for the first time. Like God was in my presence right there and then :)
ReplyDeleteLIKE I forget all about my problems ans worries !
The sentiment italicized is a sentiment felt by many. I appreciate the open invitations. But The point of the meditation was not to seek a friend but to seek more than just a friend: The Lord.
ReplyDeleteOh, please excuse my confusion.. Out of due respect, "I appreciate the open invitations" sounds like what someone says "from the distance." No matter.... Yes, the Lord is the ultimate, most intimate friend we can ever have. Does this trivialize our "mortal" friendships? Some of us may be blessed with numerous close and personal relationships, many of them life giving. Others strenuous. Can't these personal friendships allow us to grow closer to the Lord versus being alone and distant, only relying on the God touch?
DeleteYes! you are right Father
ReplyDeleteWe are seeking The Lord invitation! :)
Father Alfonse,
ReplyDeleteYour meditations are beautiful. People everywhere support you and respect you. When people do beautiful things for you sometimes the feeling exist that you don't know how to respond for what they do for you. The two trips you took to Sky Ranch seemed like when you returned you had regrets about going because of the distance. Sometimes the feeling exist that you don't know how to appreciate or thank people that care about you when they do something for you. It's awesome that people ask you to go places like Sky Ranch and Mexico to celebrate the Mass.
The friends I thought I had here have all disappeared as I'm still overwhelmed in trying to handle a lot of grief. Those aren't friends. The Lord is the best friend anybody could have because he's with us no matter what happens. When we are weak our friends walk away. God doesn't. When my days are so difficult because of tragedy or the day becomes so overwhelming the Lord is always there to guide me and protect me. My friends aren't. When I couldn't handle things anymore because of loss I felt a presence in our home of the Lord. I woke up and saw a glow beside me and at the door to my room. The comfort was incredible. Thoughts of ending my life disappeared. My grief is still very much there but God helps me every second, every minute and every hour. He never tells me He can't be my friend because I'm grieving.
God Bless You
very well written Anonymous, couldn't said any better :)
DeletePeople everywhere ( me too Father)support you and respect you :) it is the truth ;)
Good Bless you and safe Thursday Father Alfonse:)
Sound Beautiful Anonymous!
ReplyDelete