Is Jesus Still here?

Is Jesus Still Here?

Eileen Renders                                       April 2024

   As a child in elementary Catholic School, and in preparation for receiving our first Sacraments, we learned that Jesus was omnipresent, meaning that He could see all, hear all, and know all. However, curious to me, I did not see that kind of acknowledgment growing up around me. Adults seemed to project that God was someone whom we must deal with at some point before we die, and the present was for dealing with life here on earth. I did not understand that at all. I expected adults especially, to be more aware of God’s presence in the world. Still, I heard cursing, I saw people in the neighborhood often arguing, and other behavior that I found to be against God’s Commandments.

   I wondered. Did they not believe that God could see and hear them? Today, I marvel at some of the concepts of young people that we hear parents say about their children who participate in an intimate live-in situation saying; “Oh no, they are not getting married right now, millennials don’t get married right away.” Implying that this new way of thinking is much more adaptable, and eliminates the risk of making a mistake that might end in divorce. Marriage does not allow a couple in love to avoid that period of adjustment, nor does it prevent disagreements or financial difficulties. Marriage is a commitment, not a feeling.

   The Bible states that man was lonely, and God created woman. God provided the two sexes for procreation, and only under the sacrament of Marriage. A young couple living together is not an option for “sampling” to see if it feels right. Couples are recommended by the Catholic church to attend Marriage counseling before getting married. Psychologists will affirm that when sex enters into a relationship before a couple has had the time to first focus on a potential partner’s beliefs regarding God, church, marriage, children, and finances, to see whether, or not they may be compatible, the relationship is already doomed. 

   Too, this type of coupling that is entered into without a mature understanding, or commitment can also affect any future relationships, especially for a young woman. Women are meant to be respected and held in high esteem. Men may see a woman who has several failed relationships without a legal, or religious commitment are not right for them.

   Making wise decisions in one’s life is best not thought of as rules and/or constraints but as directions proven to lead us toward happiness and success, and more importantly, in living a pleasing way in which God has taught us to live.