How is God revealed to us?
And how do we reveal God to one another?
In the Old Testament, Israel's relationship with God was
often depicted in marital terms: Israel
was the spouse of God, often unfaithful, always forgiven. The prophet Isaiah speaks of the
transformation of the nation at the end of exile: Israel shall
be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the Lord. God thus reveals himself in his renewal of
union with the people; Israel's role as the Bride of God is in itself a
revelation of God's glory, and Israel herself manifests that glory to all the
earth: Nations shall behold your vindication, Isaiah says. For it is in praise, as Psalm 96 states, that
God's glory is made manifest, and all participate in the revelation of God at
work in the world, recognizing that God is their source, and our source, at
work in us as well. Tell his glory among the nations; among the peoples his wondrous deeds,
the psalmist sings. We are thus
called to make God's work explicit, called to participate in the revelation of
God.
The miracle at Cana is considered a moment of revelation as
well, a revelation of God's presence in person of Jesus, of God walking among
us and what his presence means for us.
It is the moment, according to John, when Jesus' disciples began to believe in him, though his mother already
trusts in God's plan, and lets her faith move her forward as she tells the
servers, Do whatever he tells you. She knows that God's plan is at work, and
that Jesus is at the center of it. The
miracle at Cana is the first sign that Jesus is the Messiah: it speaks to the overabundance of heaven, the
infinite love of God, the superabundance of God's love being revealed in
Jesus.
As Paul tells the Corinthians, our gifts are given to each
of us for some benefit. Our capacity to reach out to one another,
to open hearts, to meet the needs of those around us is a proclamation of the
glory of God. We begin to let the glory
of God be revealed in us whenever we allow God's love to dominate our lives,
and thus become bearers of that life-giving love to others. It is this revelation that we strive for,
this revelation that allows our relationship with God to be re-created, ever
anew.
This post is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
Image source: Wordle
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