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| Fallen oak leaves make an interesting desktop! |
Then will the Lord create,
over the whole site ofMount Zion
and over her place of assembly,
A smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.
For over all, the Lord’s glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.
over the whole site of
and over her place of assembly,
A smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.
For over all, the Lord’s glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.
The Hebrew Shekina indicates the presence of God; it
is usually represented in scripture by “a smoking cloud by day and a light flaming fire by night.”
In our Catholic churches candles and clouds of incense remind us of God’s awesome,
gentle presence.
On this second day of Advent the church reminds us of God’s
protecting shekina. It is shade from the parching heat; it is refuge and
cover from storm and rain. Which of us has never moved to the shade of tree on
a blistering hot day, or sought refuge and cover from storm and rain? So gentle
and sure is God’s presence.
As people of prayer we move habitually to the shelter of
prayer. Whether we’re hearing of earthquakes around the Pacific rim
or ominous spots on our x-rays, we turn to prayer. The ambulance’s siren and
the hurricane’s alert call us to prayer. Like baby chicks to the hen or foals
to the mare, we rush to God’s presence. He abides in our hearts and we always find
him there.
But this habit did not come easily. We learned to do penance
for our sins as we invited God to take up residence. We had to invite his “blast
of searing judgment” to be purged of our filth, and daily we must clean house to
rid ourselves of potential resentments, envy, greed and fear.
Like the centurion, we recognize God’s goodness. It is pure,
delightful and wholesome. And we acknowledge God’s authority. We tremble in
fear as we invite the Lord to come under our roof, knowing we are not worthy of
so honorable a guest. And yet we insist, he is our God; there is no other.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.