WORD 2day: Saturday, 24th week in Ordinary time
September 18, 2021: 1 Timothy 6:13-16; Luke 8:4-15
Jesus draws an important difference between seeing and perceiving, and between hearing and understanding. And he offers us an explanation that is so practical and down to earth. We can refuse to see; or hardly manage to see; or see but do not really perceive; or see, perceive and behold!
The times are such that there is so much talk about the end of times...the pandemic, the vaccine, and various others discussions relating to it. Though it is true that every now and then in history, there are times like these when the theme of end of times has emerged strong, it cannot be a mere matter of light headed comments. It should set us thinking how important a theme it is but how flimsily understood and handled. Today Paul speaks of it too, to Timothy.
For all that we may believe, Christ is not going to "come", as if he is not here! He said I am with you always. Christ, who is already here with us, will be revealed in fullness of glory, in God's own time. Till then it is our duty and our call to see and perceive Christ in every person suffering and every person in need; to hear and understand Christ speaking in every cry for justice and every groan in pain.
If we have to behold the Lord when the Lord is fully revealed... we cannot refuse to see; it would not help if we hardly manage to see; and it would not be sufficient if we see but fail to really perceive. We need to live in the presence of God, be conscious of that presence of God and draw inspiration from that presence so much that, we grow in our capacity to see and perceive, to listen and understand, when the Lord is finally revealed in all God's glory!