Thursday, December 17, 2015

Christmas Present

Christmas Present
       
 “See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the Lord.” (Zach 2:14)   
      
           
       My Lord, Mary knew you by touch and smell, by sight and sound.  I, for now, know you by Faith alone.  I long for the day to know your Resurrected Presence, your Ascended Being, to hear you, to see you, smell you, touch you.  That day is a heavenly dream, to know My Beloved in the flesh.  But even now, in my world of shadowed grays, I believe that knowing you in the flesh will be but a triviality.  For then, on that Day, I shall know you as I am known.  I shall know the very thoughts of my God.  I shall be one with you.  

        This is a wonderful but terrifying thought, for I am not ready to know the Mind of God –I am a sinful man. Yet I believe this shall be, because your Promises are true.  But in truth, I cannot imagine it.  And if I could, I would dare not out of fear, for you are All Holy – to commune with you would only profane.  Oh, the price of Sin!  Yet your Promise remains.  Save me Lord.

       On Christmas Day, you made yourself Present to humanity –you became Emmanuel, God-With-Us, the Father’s Christmas Present of Love-Sent, of God-Made-Known.  Two thousand years later, we are still unwrapping you.  Every day you come anew.  Every Eucharist, you make yourself present in the Flesh.  I cannot see, hear, and touch you as our Mother so tenderly did, but in your Mysterious Way, you imbue my soul with Knowing, you Gift me with the Christmas Present of your Real Presence.

       This I know, because you have made it Reality by your Word made Flesh.  Your Word –the Truth which cannot lie- has visited us.  You have come to dwell in the Faith of all who dare to believe in Christmas.  As Mary embraced your infant body on Christmas Day, may I embrace your Eucharist at mass.  May your Real Presence transcend the darkness of my senses.  I am so slow to believe and so quick to revert.  I praise you Lord, that you saw fit for Christmas to be never ending.

       Lord, may this season of Christmas nurture and grow my infant faith.  My senses, my intellect cannot see beyond the appearances of this world.  Your gift of Faith is my only path to knowing you.  Spirit of God, take me to where I cannot go on my own.  Father, make me a dwelling place for you.  Humbly, I receive your Gift, I plead the fellowship of your Son.  Jesus, I want to be alive in you.  Come, live in me.  Bend my knees to your Coming.

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