I once heard a story about a parish priest who climbed up the church’s steeple to be closer to God. He thought that by spending time up there, he would hear God’s word more easily and then pass it on to his parishioners.
But the more time he spent up there, the further from God he felt. One day, in desperation he cried out, “God, speak to me! Where are you? Show yourself!”
At that very moment the priest heard a voice coming from below, not from above, saying “My son, here I am! Down here on earth among my people!”
The priest was looking in the wrong place because he had not grasped the great mystery the Church celebrates every year at Christmas: that God has come down to dwell among us, He is Emmanuel. Some seek God on mountaintops while others search for Him in deserts. Others still go to the ends of the earth searching for Him, but these seekers end up frustrated like the priest from the story because their extreme searches yield no fulfilling results. God has come down to dwell among us and we do not have to travel to find Him.
Three wise men did travel to honor Jesus, yet the bright star did not lead them to a majestic palace or lush realm. They encountered God where they least expected it: in a cold cave by the small town of Bethlehem. They found God in a humble baby born among the lowly.
God has visited His people and has chosen to dwell among us. We can encounter Him here and now, so we are called to seek Him here and now.
Jesus taught us that “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them,” and “what you did for the least of my people, you did for me.”
We know that through baptism God has come to dwell in us making us temples of the Holy Spirit. Wherever we go, we take Him with us. Every person we encounter is an encounter with the living God.
Our search for God is fulfilled at every Eucharist where He reveals Himself in time and space, reminding us that He has chosen to dwell among us. He comes to feed us with heavenly food which strengthens His presence deep within our being. In the Eucharist God manifests Himself in the least expected manner as He did on Christmas morning. Ordinary bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ His Son.
God has visited His people, He has chosen to dwell with us His creatures. The mystery celebrated at Christmas continues throughout the year for those who seek and find God here and now as they prepare for eternal life.
[Picture: Parish Church of Oberammergau, Germany, 2009]
Pictures are mine, all rights reserved
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