In His presence day and night
Even though the actualisation of God’s dream does not happen without our free collaboration to ‘accept’ or ‘deny’ this gift, it is His grace that ‘generates’ a free response and ‘sustains’ it. Thus, in order to actualise this dream, we need to continually be plugged into him. Like a bulb that cannot emit light if not plugged with electricity, the same to the Christian, if not plugged into Christ cannot be the “light of the world” (John 8:12). Jesus was clear:
“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant[does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another”
(John 15:1-17).
“Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.“
Now, since Christ is present for us all the time, every moment in which we are not living in his presence is a moment taken from him. John of the Cross explains, “The entire world is not worthy of man’s thought, for this belongs to God alone; any thought, therefore, not centred on God is stolen from him” (John of the Cross, Maxims of Love, p. 37).
Pedagogically, in order to live in the presence of Christ, first of all, you need to have a ‘desire’ to live in this presence. John of the Cross continues to explain that, “when the soul desires God fully, it then possesses him whom it loves. […] the more the soul desires God, the more it possesses him, and the possession of God delights and satisfies it. […] the greater the soul’s desire, the greater will be its satisfaction and delight rather than its suffering and pain” (John of the Cross, The living flame of Love, Stanza 3, n. 23).
Once this desire is present, the primary means that might help you to stay in his presence are,
- Recollection. Dedicating time for God alone.
- Prayer. The most profound and most direct meeting with God.
- Celebrating the Eucharist, receiving Communion and engaging in Adoration.
- Listening to the Word of God.
Together with these primary means, various exercises might lead an individual to stay in this presence. These might include:
- Pious invocations, ejaculatory prayers, which, when regularly practised throughout the day, remind us of the presence of God in us.
- Spiritual communions, which as well as reminding us of the presence of Jesus, makes present anew his redeeming sacrifice.
- Offering every action to God.
- The habit of seeing in the people whom we meet daily
Christ who lives in them or wishes to live in them.
- Living in a relationship with God through the concrete realities of our day.
- Constantly asking:
- What might be the Father’s Plan for me?
- Where is the Holy Spirit taking my life?
- What could Jesus think, feel, or do in this situation?
- Observing God’s work in the world.
- Freeing yourself from all that closes your heart from acquiring God’s presence.
- Acting creatively in love to achieve God’s constant presence.
This was the ninth of 10 blogs intended to help you TO BECOME AN UNSTOPPABLE DREAMER OF GOD’S DREAMS.
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