Attending Mass is something I miss dearly. Our family is not comfortable returning in person yet, so we are still attending virtually. One of the blessings about the current situation for me has been the opportunity to watch Mass from my uncle’s parish in New York. I usually only get to see him about once a year. We have fun hanging out together and talking about life, current events and of course, our faith, but it is a wonderful experience to be able to participate in a Mass that he is celebrating. I feel truly blessed to have had that experience these past several months and I always walk away from his homilies with increased introspection. In a recent homily he mentioned a quote from one of his favorite authors, T.S. Elliot. The quote reads “We had the experience, but we missed the meaning”. Upon hearing those words. I began to think about what that statement meant in relation to my life.
When I begin to reflect on my own experiences, big or small, consequential or trivial, one-time or ongoing, I realize that there is always something that I can take away from every situation. I also realize that on many occasions, I fail to see the beyond the moment. At any given time, we have many things that can distract us from being present. Activity on our phones, our children needing our attention or just our own thoughts and worries. There are times where my thoughts get the best of me and take me away from what I am doing. I am there physically but not mentally. If we are not present in the moment, it is not only hard to enjoy ourselves, but it also makes it difficult to see the bigger picture.
If I take it one step further and examine God’s presence in my life, the sentiment of T.S. Elliott’s words becomes much more meaningful. God is always working in our lives, leading us to where we need to be which will ultimately lead us closer to him. Just as we should continue learning once we are out of school, the same is true about our faith. As we learn more about our faith, the fullness of God’s love becomes more apparent. As God’s love becomes more apparent, we can see his hand in our daily lives and once we are aware of his ongoing presence in our lives, it is easier to find meaning in a situation.
That is not to say that all things in our lives are of Gods doing, we of course have free will to make our own decisions as do others that we encounter on a daily basis. Rather, God dwells within us and therefore we are in His presence in everything we do. Through our intimate relationship with Him, much like with a parent, He is there to guide us along the way. Just as we rely on the lessons that our parents taught us and have regular conversations with them about our lives, we have the same relationship with God. Drawing upon our faith, following God’s words on how He wants us to live and through daily prayer, we have that same type of connection with Him. There are times where we may stray away from a parent or do not talk to them for a while, but during those times their love for us does not change. The same is true with God. Whether we are actively engaged in the relationship or not, God is always there waiting for us to grow closer to him. The prologue of the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us: “At every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength”. When we acknowledge this, accept Gods love for us and love God with all our heart, we will truly understand His presence in our lives.
Knowing God is present in all that I do helps me through the tough times and it also helps me appreciate the good times even more. When I look for meaning in a situation or in the outcome of my actions, I look for what I can learn to make me a better person, what I can learn about how I interact with others and most importantly, what I can learn to help me grow in my relationship with God. This last point should be at the center of everything we do, and we should actively seek out those experiences that draw us closer to Him.
In addition to focusing on the “why” when examining a situation, we should also focus on the “who”. That who of course is God, whose love for us is everlasting and always present. It is a love that is unconditional and so great, that behind it stands a desire to lead us to everlasting life. Once we realize and accept these facts, finding the meaning will be easier than we ever thought possible.
Saint Thomas Aquinas stated, “Love takes up where knowledge leaves off.” So if you find yourself in a situation where you are struggling to find meaning and understanding, I encourage you to examine your experience through the prism of God’s love. It is through an understanding of God’s love that the meaning will become clear and the bigger picture will start to come into focus.