God is Closer Than You Think

“The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)
 
This passage from Matthew’s Gospel is sometimes referred to as “the great commission”. The disciples were given their “marching orders” to follow after Jesus ascended into Heaven. They were left with one sure promise: that Jesus would always be with them (and all disciples to come) “until the end of the age”. “With you always”, on its face, could be interpreted as “You will never be without me”. The details of how God’s closeness will be realized then and now were not explicitly spelled out at the Ascension but would “formally” be announced at Pentecost. From the “birthday of the Church” until today, the Holy Spirit has guided the Body of Christ as well as each baptized individual. The closeness of God in the life of every believer is explained in the Acts of the Apostles:
 
“When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8)
 
The power given by The Holy Spirit to be living witnesses “to the ends of the Earth” also equips each baptized Christian with the ability to accomplish even the smallest tasks of daily life with divine assistance. From the mighty movement of the Spirit at Pentecost to the gentle whisper in the silence of prayer, God is indeed as close as our next breath. Even in the darkest cloud of unknowing, help is a prayer away. St. Paul explains how the Holy Spirit acts on our behalf in his Letter to the Romans:
 
“In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.” (Romans 8:26-27)
 
Let us pray for the grace to find God in all things, big and small, in our lives, and to celebrate the indwelling of the Blessed Trinity in each member of the Communion of Saints.