Through Lent with Pope Francis
If we realise that God exists, we cannot help but worship him, at times in quiet wonder, and praise him in festive song. We thus share in the experience of Blessed Charles de Foucauld, who said: “As soon as I believed that there was a God, I understood that I could do nothing other than to live for him”.
Gaudete et exsultate
In the life of God’s pilgrim people, there can be many simple gestures of pure adoration, as when “the gaze of a pilgrim rests on an image that symbolizes God’s affection and closeness. Love pauses, contemplates the mystery, and enjoys it in silence”
Scripture
1 Kings 19:11-13 NCB
The Angel of the Lord said,
“Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord will pass by.”
There was a powerful, strong wind that tore the mountain apart and shattered rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.
After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
After the fire, there was a tiny whisper.
When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.
Thought for Today
Sometimes God is found in the unexpected, in the undramatic. As in the ‘Still small voice – the tiny whisper’ in today’s reading from the first book of Kings.
Sometimes we can be moved by the sight of a familiar element of our faith, a cross, statue, people, or a book.
When was I last surprised to meet God?
Music
Ave Maria, Schubert-Vivancos sung by the Escolania de Montserrat
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