Faith

Friday, November 29, 2024Faith

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... I feel compelled to point out that a failure to see God does not signify that God is absent. God is ever present and ever active even if our crowded senses do not see and hear.

Archbishop Richard G.
Henning

The Holy Scriptures speak to us of a "Living God" and a God Who enters into relationship with us. Our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex 3:15). The Lord has drawn near and has brought us into the family of faith by the grace of the Father's beloved Son. This we believe.
God is not far off in a distant heaven or disinterested in the mundane. Instead, Our God is at work constantly -- at work with and within creation. One of the foundation tasks for people of faith is that of discerning the presence and action of God in our hearts and in our lives. Discernment is necessary because this God, even though near, is never obvious. The Scriptures teach us that God's ways are not our ways (Is 55:8-9). God is love itself and love does not control nor dominate. The Spirit of the Lord descends "like the dewfall" (Euch. Prayer II), so gentle that you may not perceive its arrival until it is already glistening upon the morning grass.

So, how do we discern the presence and action of God? Well, first, we must be still. We must quiet the noise inside and out and pay attention, for the power of God is not found in the earthquake or the tempest but in the whisper of a breeze (1 Kgs 19:11-13). Once quiet, we listen. We speak our heart to the Lord, but we do so ready to receive His answer, "speak Lord for your servant is listening" (1 Sam 3:7-11). We invoke the Spirit so that we might listen and see the world around us with new eyes. It is curious that the man born blind saw the truth of Jesus even as those entrusted with knowledge and leadership refused to see. The man born blind listened, trusted, and saw (Jn 9).
As I arrive in Boston, I have been told more than once about the increasingly secular culture. Even those raised in the faith have drifted into or chosen a life apart from God. As a result, some institutions have failed, and buildings and programs have ceased to be places of vibrant faith.
I do not deny these changes nor the pain they cause to people of faith. Even so, I feel compelled to point out that a failure to see God does not signify that God is absent. God is ever present and ever active even if our crowded senses do not see and hear. The human heart, though it may be distracted by the fears and pleasures of this world, is made by God and for God. We do not find true peace or even our true selves apart from God.
I appreciate that many of the people of this Archdiocese would like me to offer a vision for my ministry as Archbishop. I hope that you will understand if I say that I am not prepared to offer such just yet. My first responsibility is one of listening and discerning. Before I go making plans, I want to know His plan. For this discernment, I will need you to help me. God is real, present, and active among us. We see His body broken on the altar, and we go forth to find him in neighbor and stranger alike. He has not forgotten or abandoned us; He is whispering His love to our hearts. "Let those with ears to hear, listen!" (Mt 11:15)

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