Are you aware that God is at work in you right now?
We tend to take it for granted that God is always at work in us… even if we aren’t even thinking about God or God’s work. But in fact, God’s work in us is central to our existence and to our progress through life. When Isaiah tells the people that God has clothed me with a robe of salvation and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, the prophet is reminding them that his growth and his call are not his own doing: God is at work in him, and the people must likewise put their faith in God, opening to his work in them, that they might bring glad tidings to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, and more.
John the Baptist knows that the priests and Levites do not recognize what God is doing in their midst, though he himself does. John's Gospel tells us that John came to testify to the light, to tell all that God is already at work bringing the Messiah they long for. John may not understand fully who he himself is or what God is doing in him, but he trusts that God is at work and can give witness as the voice of one crying out in the desert because he believes in what God has sent him to do. The intangible work of God is happening in us, always, and we must give thanks because we have faith that this is true; we must find joy in him, as John did in the womb, in the fact that the Lord is present and active in our lives, rejoicing that we can rely on his power, not our own, so long as we open to that power of his love, and to the mercy that is the best expression of that love.
Similarly, Paul will instruct the Thessalonians to rejoice always, so that the God of peace may make you perfectly holy. We are to be aware of God’s work in us in all circumstances, Paul says, never letting anything – and especially not suffering – put a damper on the Spirit, the light of Christ, at work in us. Attention to God’s will will lead us to deeper mercy, deeper love. Mary is aware of this when she sings, in Luke’s Canticle, the Almighty has done great things for me! Mary’s soul rejoices because of all that God has done for her, and for the world, reaching out to all in need of his mercy. By conceiving the child Jesus in her through the action of the Spirit, God has blessed her with his grace and mercy, not just for her sake but for the sake of the world – what better reason to rejoice? May we too be ever aware of the working of God in us, that we may rejoice always before the wonders of God’s loving care and mercy!
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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