Just a couple of weeks ago we celebrated our twenty-fifth anniversary of moving to the Berkshires.  It was good to see our contractor who build this monastery come to our celebratory Mass.  His building firm is now operated by his son and they still look out for us and our home, when need arises.  Remembering our momentous move from our former monastery conjures up a story which made a deep impression on me.  After moving north, we frequently heard from our old friends (still do) and their prayer requests still come to our attention.  

Soon after our move we received a letter from a woman who regularly came to our Wilmington chapel to pray.  She would often tell us about herself and her family and ask our prayers for various intentions.  In her letter she related that one of her children who had a very urgent prayer request and was in some distress drove to the former site of our old monastery.  Though the building had been taken down, she proceeded to park along the street, getting as close to the chapel site as possible, and offered her prayer petitions from inside her car.  Doing this gave her a certain measure of comfort and assurance, for although there was no longer a building in sight, there was a definite spiritual presence lingering among the remains of the monastery’s grounds.

After listening to this incident, my mind went back to my first days in the monastery when I would visit our garden cemetery and read the names of our early Sisters who had gone before me.  Their presence had to a large extent shaped the environment of the building, their spirits were still very much in residence as I heard stories about their personalities and saw the work of their hands.  In a very tangible sense their spirits pervaded the space and seeped into the consciousness of our whole community, making us aware of their legacy of loving service.

In some way I believe that every person’s life feels the impact of presence.  The presence of past ancestors, relatives, family members, friends can have a very crucial influence on the make-up of our lives, steering our inclinations, preferences and choices along destructive or productive paths.  If we were to think about the important decisions we have made, chances are that they were influenced by the presence of another person or persons.

In similar fashion one of the greatest gifts God has to offer us is His presence.  This presence is promised to creation in every conceivable circumstance even unto the end of time… ”for the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love will not depart from you…”  God’s presence permeates history and seeks to draw hearts into a profound encounter with Truth and Love.  For centuries, wave after wave of God’s presence has splashed across the face of our earth.  In the most ordinary of moments, God’s presence can sometimes be powerfully sensed.  As Saint Teresa of Avila was fond of saying, “God walks among the pots and pans.”  

God is abiding in our midst and is accessible to us yet it takes a real effort on our part to be tuned into this presence.  The poet Emerson once reflected:  “The days come and go and say nothing, and if we do not use the gifts they bring, they carry them as silently away.” God’s silence and quietness can fool us into thinking that there are no strong connecting links between ourselves and the divine.  We can imagine to ourselves that getting to know God intimately is impossibly difficult or so beyond our human energies that it just can’t be done.  Even those who attend Church on a regular basis may wonder why God’s presence seems so far away.

They not only improve the quality of the drug is maintained even though the drug comes in two distinct structures, i.e. purchase generic viagra Heat Stroke can typically occur to infants, elderly, athletes and outdoor workers. cialis buy on line These commonly used herbal medicines include Damiana, Sarsaparilla, Ginseng, Gotu Kola click that storefront ordine cialis on line and Saw Palmetto. tadalafil canadian Libido enhancer supplements increases stamina and reduces stimulation problems. The question can be posed then… how can our consciousness be made more aware of the presence of God?  One sure means that our Catholic faith proposes to us is through devotion to the Sacred Heart.  Let’s take a few minutes to think about this.  God’s self-revelation (God’s presence) was brought to its fullness in the heart of Jesus.  God exposed his heart to the world through the heart of Jesus letting humanity see what was inside that heart.  Yes, we actually have access, into the very core of all Being.  We can experience most intimately how God wishes to be present to us, to all creation.  

First and foremost we get a glimpse of God’s generosity because no one is excluded from God’s presence… God invites all.  God’s presence is not for this or that person but really for everyone.  We don’t need to be a Saint Margaret Mary or a Saint Faustina or even a Saint John the Evangelist to attract God into our hearts.  What we need to be is simply our best selves.  This is all.  No one has the prerogative on the goodness of God.  [This reminds me of a story I once heard about the Cure of Ars who was assaulted by a fervent devotee trying to take a piece of his person as a relic.  Sensing the reason behind the assault the holy Cure turned the culprit away with the words, “Make some yourself!”]  We don’t need to wait for God’s light to shine on the next person sitting beside us to enjoy the warmth of being close to God.  God is looking at each of us with eyes of love, extending a heart to heart invitation to come nearer.

Secondly, the interior of the Sacred One’s heart is full of peace and joy.  Despite the fact that the Heart of Jesus was pierced and bruised with a multitude of our offenses, the suppleness and wholeness which derived from its love was not destroyed.  Even in the most dreadful of circumstances there was an unclouded area of true composure and confidence because God was over all.  How often we need to remind ourselves of this thought when just the smallest things throw us off center.  In God’s presence things get to be seen in their proper perspective.  The tiny obstacles that bog us down and cause us depression are able to be met with in a more harmonious way and with an attitude of peaceful acceptance.  Truly being in the presence of the Sacred Heart gives our inner faculties a chance to rest in God’s providential love and care.

Thirdly, there is a quality of presence in the Heart of Jesus that enlarges hearts to a new level of loving and understanding.  In our praying we may no longer hope for a certain outcome but allow God’s grace to work as it pleases.  If God brings us darkness and confusion instead of light and certitude, then we surrender to this “other side” of God’s presence.  Sometimes God expands our hearts through struggle and we can only participate in this unique kind of presence by means of deep faith and trust.

The Heart of Christ cannot be more praised and honored then when his presence is acknowledged.  When we place our trust in the love and mercy of God and try faithfully to turn our powers of heart, mind, and will in the direction of the Lord, something of God’s presence is going to take root in our being and be communicated outward to others.  We may not even be aware of this ourselves, but in imperceptible ways grace will be channeled into us and out of us.  Great lovers of the Heart of Jesus resonate a presence that bears the distinctive marks of gentleness and humility, qualities that have always had a disarming effect on our world, because they are so seldom valued and acquired.

We ourselves can be a revelation of the Sacred Heart by living the virtues of that heart.  One single dedicated heart can be a tremendous force for leading others into a meaningful experience of God.  May we not discount ourselves from doing our part in bringing God’s presence more fully into the hearts and consciousness of those around us… for in so doing we are bound to reap abundant blessings from the Lord. +