Reflections from the Heart – May 15, 2022

Fifth Sunday of Easter
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them… God himself will always be with them as their God.” Where is God? A good question to consider. We know God is in scripture for the Word has become flesh and dwells among us. Sacred Scripture is the inspired Word of God. When we hear scripture, when we spend quiet, intimate moments in sacred silence, we hear the voice of God. When sacred text is read, a Psalm sung or the Gospel proclaimed, we know God is present for it is he who speaks, he who inspires, he who encourages, he who heals.  So where is God? We know that God is also in his priest in the person of Jesus Christ. The heart and the soul of a priest is the heart and the soul of Christ who is the priesthood. It is Christ himself who renews and baptizes, who feeds and nourishes, who forgives and seals, who anoints and heals, who marries and ordains. It is Christ himself who teaches us how to pray. Who consoles us when we are grieving, who guides us when we are lost, who brings light to moments that are dark, who reminds us how much we are loved by the Father. So really, where is God? We know that God is truly present in the Holy Eucharist. For ordinary bread and wine have given way to the Holy Spirit and have been transformed into the very nature and essence of Christ our Lord, our King, our Savior.  The Holy Spirit is the infinite and divine love that binds the Father and the Son perfectly and eternally. Jesus himself reminds us that he and the Father are one. The Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father. Where the Son is, the Father remains. They are united in love, in Eucharist, in Spirit. So where is God right now? Where is God in this very moment? Where is he as you read this reflection? Where is God right now? Stop and seriously give it a moment of thought. Give the thought prayerful consideration. Give it a moment of dutiful reflection. Where is God? God is in you right now at this very moment. He graciously and happily dwells in you. You are God’s holy temple, his tabernacle, his home, his heaven on earth, his sacred dwelling place. At times, we go searching for God outside ourselves. He may feel distant, unapproachable, beyond our grasp but he is at home inside of you.