Finding God in our midst - DECEMBER 16, 2006

In the first reading this weekend of Zephaniah the prophet proclaims: “The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior, he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in His love.” The Advent season calls us to a responsive attentiveness to this presence of God in our midst. Where will you encounter God today? Where will I? How shall we draw near? A modern prophet, Archbishop Oscar Romero, reminded the world that there is one rule we can use if God is near or far away from us: the measure of our concern for the poor. Those who have concern fore the lowest and least ones know the God who is close at hand. What we do to the poor we do to God. The way we look at them is the way we look at God. The crowds today ask John the Baptist, “What might we do?” John’s answers are customized to the particular circumstances of the questioners. In a sense John is saying bloom where you are planted. Bear the good fruit of loving and caring for others within your local circumstance. May we hear and respond to the challenge of finding God in our midst.

Fr. Bob Hawkins - DECEMBER 16, 2006