If only communicating with God were as easy for us as picking up the phone and dialing his number. On the other hand, does God ever try to communicate with you? Does God phone you, text you, email you? God communicates with us every day. The question is: “Do we listen?” Radio stations are broadcasting 24 hours a day, but we need to tune our radio into the station to pick up the signal. God communicates with us every day if we make the effort to tune in. To use the words of today’s Gospel, we need to be dressed for action with our lamps lit.
In today’s Gospel Jesus said, “You too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Sometimes God can come unexpectedly in ways that we would never expect. Strangely, some people realize with the benefit of hindsight, they were aware of their sinfulness and weakness and feeling abandoned by God. Yet they were in fact being visited by God. St. John of the Cross said the cause of such discomfort is that God is flooding the soul. He said when the light is not shining, the cobwebs (sinfulness) are not seen, but when the light (God) is turned on, then everything, even what is unpleasant, becomes visible. He also said this is like a nurse (God) bringing bitter medicine (awareness of sinfulness) to the soul, and the medicine is needed to get better. Another way God has come unexpectedly to some is when painful things from their past surface again, which they thought had been healed. This is an opportunity to receive the grace of even more healing from God and freedom from these events. Also, some say another way in which God comes unexpectedly is when they experience a crisis in which everything they trusted in disappears. During that time their securities vanish or are shown to be useless and they learn to trust in God in a new deeper way. For them it really is moving from false gods to the One True God.
Radio stations are broadcasting but we must tune in our radio to pick up the signal. God communicates with us every day if we have the ears to hear. Sometimes God communicates with us in unexpected ways. Are you open to God speaking to you? Jesus said in the Gospel, “You too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Luke 12:40) “There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.”
Have a blessed August!
Fr. Tom