I have not always been "good" to my body. Both these truly gentle men are reverent towards the human body; thus they remind me of how much God reverences our human bodies and gives them to us as gifts. After all, God chose to come to us in a human body - so He could meet us where we are! "God is not only a flaming bush, a pillar of fire, or even a mysterious cloud, as God is described in various places in the Old Testament. God is one of us." (Fr. James Martin, S.J.)
This proactive God entered our world as a helpless human baby so we'd realize God is not a threatening God. This non-threatening God also chose a quite unremarkable life so that we would not be over-awed by God. Who wouldn't feel comfortable with a simple craftsman? Who couldn't love the simple tales he told about fishing and pearls and birds and sheep and runaway sons who decide to come home?
God approaches us in this same simple, humble, non-threatening way every day of our lives. Maybe that's why we don't always recognize the creative, intensely personal methods God uses with each of us. Yet God is faithful to us and always with us - always, in all ways.
"For someone who delights in relationships, experiences of God might come through a conversation with a close friend. For a parent, through the smile on the face of an infant. For an active person, in working among the poor in a homeless shelter. For an introspective person, by meditating on Scripture....In my experience as spiritual director, I have noticed how dreams are sometimes means through which God can communicate difficult truths, which the conscious mind might not be ready or able to grasp... God meets us where we are." (Martin.)
God's presence in our experiences unerringly moves us, enlightens us, challenges us, enlivens us, draws us deep into the well of our souls so our faith can burst forth into our awareness again.
The young Mary's faith was strengthened when she visited her cousin Elizabeth and they discussed their miraculous pregnancies. Each woman's experience was proof to the other that God exists and is active in human lives.
Joseph and a very pregnant Mary, on the long, hard road to Bethlehem, undoubtedly shared their experiences of God to strengthen each others' faith. Joseph probably asked Mary to tell him again about her experience with the angel Gabriel. Mary asked Joseph to share about the angel in his dream who told him that the child she carried was from the Holy Spirit.
Confused, fearful about this remarkable child they were expecting, yet still trusting the God who was leading them, Joseph and Mary engaged in conversations and encouraged each other - and so they embodied God's presence for each other on the road. How many times have our friends helped us down the road of our lives with loving, supportive, faith-filled words? Have we recognized God's faithful presence to us through, with, and in our friends?
How many times, either alone with the Bible or Spiritual reading, or at Mass or at your weekly religious service, has a line of Scripture struck you, given you an unexpected insight, penetrated your heart? Did you recognize that God was communicating with you? Talking with you about your personal life and relationship with Him?
Perhaps the thought of God actually being present to us frightens us, no matter how unthreatening God wants to be with us. We have to remember the angel's words to Mary: "Do not be afraid." Mary must have told Jesus this story from her life, because of the many times that Jesus told people, including us, "Do not be afraid." Yet when God comes to us, we want to bow down, kneel down, hide our faces. It's a good thing, sometimes, to be awestruck, to be filled with a holy fear, to be humbled!
Simple, faith-filled gratitude is our best response to our ever-present, ever-faithful God, whose presence can be conveyed to us through and in the beauty of a poem, a psalm, a sunset, or a Jazz Quartet, in the loud hub bub of city streets or in crickets chirping in rural lanes, in the smells of new mown hay or classic perfume, in the hilarity of a dog slurping our cheek, or a spouse's tender love-making. Our God delights in the very Physicality of our world! Our God's bodily presence among us has made everything of this earth sacred and worthy of celebration.
With attentive, faith-filled gratitude, celebrate our God's ongoing presence in your life! He is faithful to you forever, and always, - and in all ways!
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior....The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His Name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear Him." (Mary's song of praise when she was with Elizabeth.)