Like the magic of dew fall in the morning, the life of Christ is invisible to the world, an impenetrable secret to anyone whose concerns are limited to the here and now. At the same time and without fully being aware of it, everything that is below, visible and part of this physical world is waiting for what comes from above, what is invisible and spiritual. Into this expectation, the Father speaks His Word and the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. Because of this secret presence, Saint Paul teaches those who believe, “Your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3).
This truth of the faith is not simply about the physical location of Christ -- for the Risen Lord has gained access to the whole of our human reality. For Christ to dwell with us especially means that the world here below has been filled with heavenly realities. The emptiness of our lives yields to the fullness and new meaning He brings to everything.
Hidden in the mystery of faith, Christ realizes all the noble aspirations of the creatures with whom He has chosen to make his home. He is not put off by our hardships but enters into our homelessness. Born in into a immigrant family, He is in solidarity with the strangers in our midst. Cloaking Himself in poverty, He is not put off by our rejection but remains present, inviting us to change our hearts. He is not put off by the humble and marginalized, but sends them heavenly messengers of His presence. Most of all, He does not fear our aggression or hostility, but comes in great humility and gentleness to rescue us from these things and to restore our dignity.
This embrace between Heaven and Earth that He extends to us is not an abstract idea, but a living reality, personally present, in a transforming way. Every Advent allows us to welcome and marvel over this wonderful gift again. There is, however, a price: those who begin to live hidden in this mystery will certainly be misunderstood by those who do not share this life. Even more, people of prayer will be confounded by their own failures and mediocrity in the face of such divine love. We must never be discouraged by our own difference and lack of mercy. Instead, each of these trials is another occasion to learn to have confidence in the One who has come and is coming for us anew.
Even as the hostility of this world exhausts itself against the love of God, prayer discovers how inexhaustible God's love is. For those who go on this pilgrimage of prayer with the Lord who comes, they come to yearn for the secret glory that He yearns to share. Without knowing how, the dew of Christ's coming permeates their own life -- and, in everything, they rejoice in His victory and Lordship.
This truth of the faith is not simply about the physical location of Christ -- for the Risen Lord has gained access to the whole of our human reality. For Christ to dwell with us especially means that the world here below has been filled with heavenly realities. The emptiness of our lives yields to the fullness and new meaning He brings to everything.
Hidden in the mystery of faith, Christ realizes all the noble aspirations of the creatures with whom He has chosen to make his home. He is not put off by our hardships but enters into our homelessness. Born in into a immigrant family, He is in solidarity with the strangers in our midst. Cloaking Himself in poverty, He is not put off by our rejection but remains present, inviting us to change our hearts. He is not put off by the humble and marginalized, but sends them heavenly messengers of His presence. Most of all, He does not fear our aggression or hostility, but comes in great humility and gentleness to rescue us from these things and to restore our dignity.
This embrace between Heaven and Earth that He extends to us is not an abstract idea, but a living reality, personally present, in a transforming way. Every Advent allows us to welcome and marvel over this wonderful gift again. There is, however, a price: those who begin to live hidden in this mystery will certainly be misunderstood by those who do not share this life. Even more, people of prayer will be confounded by their own failures and mediocrity in the face of such divine love. We must never be discouraged by our own difference and lack of mercy. Instead, each of these trials is another occasion to learn to have confidence in the One who has come and is coming for us anew.
Even as the hostility of this world exhausts itself against the love of God, prayer discovers how inexhaustible God's love is. For those who go on this pilgrimage of prayer with the Lord who comes, they come to yearn for the secret glory that He yearns to share. Without knowing how, the dew of Christ's coming permeates their own life -- and, in everything, they rejoice in His victory and Lordship.
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