(Haggai 1:1-8, Psalm 149:4a, Luke 9:7-9)
The Pope is here! The Pope is here! The Pope is here! Not that I am excited or anything – but did you know that the Pope is in the United States of America??? The air is electric as Catholics and non-Catholics alike witness this momentous event. Multitudes line up everywhere he goes just to catch a glimpse. Yes, Pope Love is in the air here in the good ole USA.
Humanity craves a super hero and Pope Francis could possibly be the greatest super hero of all time. We long for the love and the peace he speaks of. The world is in deep need of a savior and Pope Francis embodies a joy, a spirit and a love that is beyond captivating. And why such love for this man, what is it about him that draws the multitudes in? My guess… he has invited God to dwell within and this makes him a human magnet for those who seek the real love that is God. He carry’s much – I would say that he carries the spiritual weight of the world. Yet, he remains humble and full of charity, he continues to smile and most of all he continues to remain a dwelling place for God himself.
Today’s readings share with us the desire God has to dwell within each and every one of us. Without him we will sow yet not reap, eat yet still hunger, drink yet still experience sadness, clothe ourselves yet remain cold, and earn wages yet have nothing to show for it. And with him – well, he promises us our hearts greatest desires beyond our wildest dreams.
So how do we see God, how do we invite him in to dwell within us? Even Herold, when he heard of the happenings of Jesus, kept trying to see him – yet he could not. How can this be, our God desires so deeply to dwell within us, yet great Kings like Herold cannot find the one who is the Way to the Father?
Our Lord is unlike any super hero, unlike any great worldly king, unlike any celebrity and unlike any great thinker that we could ever seek to emulate. While many admire famous individuals, and many desire to emulate them, we will never “become” them. Whereas when we desire to emulate our Lord Jesus Christ he shows us the path to our heavenly Father. The journey creates in us a dwelling place for God himself. As God dwells within, our happiness increases, our joy expands and most of all our heart more fully unites with his heart. We begin to become one with God. St. Paul spoke often about such beauty and his moral theology directs us towards such unification with the Father.
Just last night I was at my church with my oldest daughter and four of her children. The speaker spoke of the importance of the family in today’s society – it was a very nice talk. However for me the magic happened in the parking lot after as my daughter and I chatted. She is struggling with some very heavy life events right now and there is not a whole lot I can do for her except to pray – which I do. As we were discussing her troubles she held a look of countenance and an internal light beamed from her tired and worn out body. You see, I am blessed to have a devout daughter who prays often – praying Novenas continually, praying the Rosary almost daily and constantly seeking Christ. She shared with me that she knows everything will be ok because she has surrendered everything to God. Later, after she put her children to bed, she sent me a text – “I love you so much mom”. Tears came to my eyes, my baby girl has surrendered to Jesus and I witnessed the light of Christ in her eyes last night. Maybe this is how St. Monica felt… I do know God will open the correct doors for my daughter and her children, everything will be alright. And best of all, my daughter has surrendered her entire self to our Lord. I saw a glimpse of God last night as I looked into my daughter’s beautiful brown eyes and my heart was filled with joy beyond what I could have ever imagined.
Each and every one of us can become a dwelling place for God and every one of us can experience the internal happiness and love that only God fosters. The path afforded us within our Catholic Church, with all its offerings, will provide what we need for the journey – with Pope Francis acting as Jesus’ first mate. Together let’s pray for Pope Francis so that he can continue to offer God a most beautiful dwelling place.
Jesus – I love you!
