I hope that you safely enjoyed the eclipse this past Monday. It was an exciting time for our nation to witness the power and the beauty of our solar system at work. Often God gives us the opportunity to enjoy the immense beauty of his grandeur. What a lovely treat.
On the flip side was the earthquake from three days earlier. I did not feel it here in Milmont but my family did in Holmes. The cat slept through it – so no need to panic. But we had two unusual but natural occurrences that caused people to share their experiences.
Monday Theology classes at Little Flower always began with a question. Where did you experience God this past week? The reflection did not need to be limited to one response for hopefully there were several occasions that you were able to witness God at work. In the early stages of the year that question was answered in a list format. But often, especially as the academic year drew into its later stages, the students were able to focus on one encounter that was particularly inspirational, and they wrote quite movingly about the deep spiritual meaning of the encounter.
Today’s gospel from St. Luke closes with the line: “You are witnesses of these things.” The first reading from Acts of the Apostles quotes St. Peter: “of this we are witnesses.” Witnessing something, most especially the immense beauty of God’s grandeur demands us to share that information with others. This sharing is not a simple recitation of the event but an invitation to share in its deeper meaning and significance.
St. Peter, and all the Twelve were witnesses of great miracles of Jesus. Yet, they were also witnesses of the quiet moments that Jesus spent in prayer, the instructional moments when he taught with authority, the tender moments when he received his followers, and the agonizing moments when he endured his Passion. Indeed, they were witnesses of these things.
Look at the words of today’s responsorial: “Know that the Lord does wonders for his faithful one.” The fourth psalm’s theme is faithful trust. It is a psalm that is traditionally recited close to bedtime, and it offers the opportunity to recall those wonders that the Lord has done throughout the day, and it looks forward to the wonders that the Lord will do tomorrow. The psalmist describes this moment as a bedtime caress from heaven that will see us securely through the night.
“O Lord, let the light of your countenance shine upon us! You put gladness into my heart. As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep.”
Jesus often prayed at night alone. The night is a perfect occasion to reflect upon the day and to witness how the beauty, grandeur, and grace of the countenance of God shined upon you. Where did you experience God this day? When did the grace of his countenance shine upon you? Upon whom else did his countenance shine? How did that impact the rest of your day? How will it impact your approach to tomorrow?
Reflecting on those special moments when the countenance of God shines upon us enables us to make others aware of the same. We can share our experiences of earthquakes, eclipses, and the like but hopefully we, like the prophet Elijah, share the moments when God appeared in a tiny whispering sound. (1 Kings 19:11-13)