Every person is called to have a relationship with God. The living God calls each of us, invites us, and summons us to be with him and rejoice in his presence. The task of accepting the call can be arduous. It’s not easy to pursue the spiritual life with a fallen heart that doesn’t trust God and in a secular age that denies his presence. And yet, the summons is given and the path is opened before us.
As we seek to follow the path toward God, we are motivated by the hope of seeing and encountering him. Along the way, we are blessed and encouraged by certain wellsprings.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes these wellsprings. Among others, they consist of the Word of God, the sacred liturgy, the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, and the sacrament of the present moment.
The Catechism teaches: “We learn to pray at certain moments by hearing the Word of the Lord and sharing in his Paschal mystery, but his Spirit is offered us at all times, in the events of each day, to make prayer spring up from us.”
The spiritual life requires an awareness and appreciation of the presence of God in the present moment. We cannot live in the past or camp out in the future if we want to encounter God and cooperate with his grace. We need to look for him and discern his providence in the present moment that is offered to us in the events of each day and at all times. Such a perception can lead our hearts to a regular and active conversation with God.
The Catechism explains: “Jesus’ teaching about praying to our Father is in the same vein as his teaching about providence: time is in the Father’s hands; it is in the present that we encounter him, not yesterday nor tomorrow, but today: ‘O that today you would hearken to his voice! Harden not your hearts.’”
God is not the I WAS or the I WILL BE, he is the great I AM. God dwells in the present moment and we encounter him in “the now.” We are invited to recognize his presence no matter where we are or what we’re doing, whether that’s doing the dishes, waiting in traffic, watching a movie, or undergoing some temptation. God is present and our task is to let ourselves be aware of his presence and discern his providence.
In good moments, we acknowledge God’s presence and offer prayers of praise and gratitude. In difficult moments, we call out to God and ask for his strength and guidance. In the good and the bad moments of life, God is present and ready to help us. By knowing of his presence, we can trust in his providence. Whatever is happening, God’s will is being done and we can rely on him and his care for us and those we love.
The Catechism continues: “Prayer in the events of each day and each moment is one of the secrets of the kingdom revealed to ‘little children,’ to the servants of Christ, to the poor of the Beatitudes.”
By recognizing God’s presence in the moments of our day, God is able to teach us. There are powerful lessons of humility, patience, and kindness that can only be learned by accepting the sacrament of the present moment. The entire spirit of the Lord, which is best summarized in his Beatitudes, is imparted to the humble – the small – soul that is willing to pause, discern God’s presence, wait, and listen to him.
In our hurried world, where one thing quickly leads to another, we need peace. Peace is found in prayer and one of the wellsprings of prayer is the call to slow down and to ask God where he is in the present moment and then to wait for his answer. Such a posture will always be rewarded with an outpouring of divine wisdom.
As we discern God’s presence in the present moment, we are taught to wait for God in our lives and to anticipate his activity throughout the world.
The Catechism teaches: “It is right and good to pray so that the coming of the kingdom of justice and peace may influence the march of history, but it is just as important to bring the help of prayer into humble, everyday situations; all forms of prayer can be the leaven to which the Lord compares the kingdom.”
By allowing God’s presence to be acknowledged and his grace to be active in the moments of our lives, we contribute to the coming of his kingdom in our world. When we allow God’s kingdom to come into our own hearts, we serve as a leaven for him to come into our world today.
For more spiritual wisdom and encouragement, please visit Father Kirby’s YouTube channel, Daily Discipleship with Father Kirby.
