Pondering the Word

This book is not intended to be an exploration of the teachings or dogma of the Catholic Church. It is intended to be one man’s journey, a Catholic, in search of God’s will. It is a journey to discover the Word of God. Since God is not an inanimate object, his presence is expressed in words which unite us to Him. He continues to reveal himself to us in an informal way. Through meditation and reflection on God’s Word, we can grow closer to experiencing his presence in us. We are reminded by the Isaiah of God’s promise, “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Is.55). God’s Word is alive and exits in us. The challenge is to discover and navigate his presence in our lives. We have been told, often, that we can offend God, through our thoughts, words and deeds. This also implies that we can encounter Him, through our thoughts, words and deeds. God’s Word is spirit and life. It comes into existence through our senses even when He disciplines or forgives us. He is present in our lives and His grace speaks to us in many ways. My desire is to awaken in us, the joy of discerning God’s presence as he guides us, through our senses. The word sense is used in the context of the five basic senses. They are sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The impact of the word “sense” also connects us to everyday activities in our lives, such as hearing, listening, dreaming, and even silence. God’s Word awakens in us a deeper consciousness in ourselves. It arouses us from our slumber to a fuller appreciation of his unending love for us. His Spirit and life exist in the Word which dwells in us and impacts the many facets of our lives. We can experience his presence in a multitude of ways. I have selected a few words that have impacted my life. They are just a glimpse into the wide spectrum of words that are available to us. These words may have a different impact on the lives of others. However, I am, in this book, exploring as well as sharing my personal experiences of how God’s Word can affect us. The words selected are not intended to be discussed in detailed. I am “pondering on the word” as it impacts my life as well as others. I hope that the selected words may also touch others and assist them to discover and share the power of God’s Word as it impacts their lives. I am not looking at any word, with respect to its entomology, definition, or description. I am looking at some of the words with respect to how they have transformed my life. My hope is that what I have experienced from the words selected can help others to understand the depth and width of God’s presence in his Word. Taking the time to examine the selected words, can open a new perspective on how we experience God’s presence in us. The Gospels, in essence, reflect a way of life for all. It is through the living out of the Gospels we discover the magnitude and the profound simplicity of the Word. Jesus in the Gospels speak to us through parables. He continues to speak to us in similar ways. We encounter situations frequently, where we are told a parable that provides us with a profound spiritual message. The Holy Spirit continues to teach us, in our everyday activities, how to discover the Word. I have also included a few stories that have touched my life and guided me to a deeper and humbler discovery of the Word. My hope is that they will help you also in recognizing in your own stories. The stories of the Word dwelling among you and within you. Amen The word Amen is said at the end of many prayers. For many of us, it signals the end of that prayer, but not many of us realize that it is also the beginning of the commitment to make good on what we have just prayed for. Amen can mean, “so be it or it is true.” But how many times do we fail to live up to the truth? One day in Church, there was a little girl of about two and a half years old, pulling on my Alb as I lined up, with the other clergy and ministers, in procession to the altar for Mass. One of the lectors in line asked me if I knew her. I recognized her family approaching us to get her. I responded jokingly that I had baptized her as an infant and maybe she remembered me. I thought that this was the end of our encounter. For the next three weeks, she would get to the back of the church after services to greet me, with hugs and dancing and even modelling her beautiful clothing. Each week, I began to look forward to our short visits. One week she was not at Church. Her grandmother told me that she was home praying. I asked her, does she know how to pray? The grandmother, responded, “Deacon, Bella uses the only word that she knows in prayer. She walks around the house saying Amen.” I was told that she learnt this word from attending services. From that day onwards, this little girl soon became one of my special friends. I look forward to seeing her whenever she attended services. However, this incident caused me to reflect on the meaning of the word Amen. I began thinking that if there is only one word that we could use in prayer; Amen would be a very suitable choice. Amen can also be expressed in phrases and sentences. For example, Mary responded to God’s request, by the angel, to be the mother of Jesus, by saying, in Luke’s Gospel, “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered, “May it be done to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her (Lk 1:38). Mary teaches us, that her Amen is her acceptance of God’s plan for her. It affirms a personal obedience and commitment to God. Jesus, very often in the Gospels, addresses the disciples using the word Amen to affirm his teachings. Jesus said to his disciples, “In that day you will no longer ask me anything, I tell you the truth, (which means -Amen) my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (Jn 16: 23). Jesus reminds us constantly that his Father has promised to respond to our requests, when we ask it in his mane. Amen acknowledges this agreement between the father and the son.