“I am with you always, to the end of the age” - Matthew 28:20
The Theme that came to mind for our meditation on the readings this Sunday, is taken from the last words of our Lord Jesus to his disciples, found at the conclusion of Matthews’ gospel, “I am with you always to the end of the age.” It is quite significant that at the very beginning of his Gospel, Matthew introduces Jesus with a prophesy taken from Isaiah (Isa.7:14), “Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel, which means, God-with-us.” Therefore, Matthew, in the most definitive way, demonstrates that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all prophies, and as the Second Vatican Council put it, “Christ is the fullness of Revelation” (Dei Verbum 2), God’s revelation of Himself to mankind.
The same God who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and revealed His name, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14), for, God is He who is, the Omnipresent, always and everywhere, the God who led Israel out of Egypt “with a powerful hand, and arms outstretched” (Psalm 136:12), “like a hen gathers and protects her brood under her wings” (Matt. 23:37), was present among them, guided them on in the form of a column of fire, provided for their needs, instructed them through Moses and the prophets, is the same God we behold dwelling among us, guiding us, and leading us to eternal life. As we read in the beautiful testimony of the Apostle John, “And the Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). The same God says to us, “I am with you always to the end of the age.”
During their journey through the great desert, the Israelites were so overcome by the privation of the desert, that they questioned whether God was in their midst. And we ourselves are now walking through the great desert of Lent. And God is with us: He is our food and drink, not only in Lent, but also throughout the entirety of our earthly journey. We need to take good care lest the trials and the temptations of our time blind us from God’s presence, and from the many blessings God has given us, and continues to give us. We cannot lose our faith just like that, because of one small shortage or trial.
God said to Moses, “Go over there in front of the people…I will be standing there in front of you on the rock, strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink” (Exodus 17:5-6). St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says, “The Rock (that Moses struck) was Christ” (1Cor.10:4) who was present among the Israelites. And Christ himself gives testimony to this through Prophet Isaiah, he says, “I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting…I have set my face like a flint” (Isa. 50:6-7). Therefore, just as Moses struck the rock in the desert, so was Christ struck on the Cross with the lance, and blood and water gushed forth from his side as the fountain of mercy for us. And every time Holy Mass is celebrated, Christ who is present among us, says to us, take and eat, this is my body given for you, take and drink, this is my blood shed for you. And His body is true food, and His blood is true drink. In this way, Christ is always present, not only within us, but also around us. If you still need another proof of His presence among us, listen to the prayer of King David, “O Lord, you search me and you know me, you know when I sit down and when I rise up. You discern my thoughts from a far…even before a word is on my tongue, you know it O Lord” (Psalm 139).
The woman at the well was blinded by the fact that her heart was closed to strangers, and in that case, the Jews. And in her thirst, she had come to draw water from a temporary well, yet, right there in front of her was the eternal fountain of living water. She did not recognize this gift of God, until the grace of God brought her face to face with her dark and ugly hidden life. Then she realized the divine presence in front of her. Christ says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). Those words have great meaning in them and are worthy of our careful consideration. Sin, in fact, does blind us from seeing God, even when He is right there in front of us.
This Lent is a period of facing off with the darkest areas of our lives that tend to blind us from a clear vision of God who is present among us. When the Samaritan woman asks Jesus for the grace of living water, He in turn points to her condition of grave sin. Christ shows the Samaritan woman that although she desires to receive the grace of God, she cannot keep her sins and at the same time receive the grace of living water. She must rid herself of sin first, to create room for the Grace of God. God does not compete for space. We must give to God what belongs to God and to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And here is the answer to why we ought not to present ourselves for the reception of Holy Communion while living in the state of grave sin.
As we continue with the discipline of Lent, and indeed, the cultivation of Christian
virtues, let us always remember that God is with us, He is present among us, and all around us. He is our guide, He is the Way, He is our food and drink to sustain us on this earthly journey. And may we always keep the faith, even in moments of trials, confident that God sees us and knows best what we need, and that he will provide for what we need. May we come, in a spirit humble and contrite, to draw mercy and grace from the fountain of salvation, the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Amen
Given on the Third Sunday of Lent, March 12th, 2023.
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