finding God
One Human Being
Christmas 2024
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: December 25, 2024
Emnanuel. God is with us. The Mystery of Christmas.
Yet, how do I find God? How do I come to believe in God? How do I help someone else to believe in God?
God came to us in one human being, in one particular time, and one particular place. From that moment, it changed how we human beings are to find God. We do not discover God in deep intellectual thoughts, we do not find God in some special place, we do not find God in big spiritual experiences, we do not find God in well thought out ideas or concepts, we do not find God in miracles. All of these might be helpful, but they do not open us to the true God revealed in Jesus.
St. John Paul II once defined Christianity in this way, “it is an attitude of amazement at the dignity of the human being.” The foundation of our Christian faith, the mystery of the Incarnation, is the dignity of the human being.
We are only Christian to the extent that we fully respect the dignity of our fellow human beings. We will only be able to find God to the extent that we recognize the dignity of our fellow human beings. But, in our world, we see that dignity so often ignored. The children suffering and dying in the wars in our world today. The poor living in inhuman conditions. Migrants dying hoping to leave terrible conditions and to get to a new land. The person languishing in one of our prisons in an often unhealthy system. People choosing to die as they feel so alone and hopeless.
As Christians, this lack of dignity for our fellow human beings should upset us. We will only discover God to the extent that we recognize the dignity of our fellow human beings. Including in the atheist who does not believe in God. In the people we live with in our families and homes. In our colleagues at work or at school. In our enemies, who Jesus called us to love.
Also, we need to be able to discover the presence of God within our own being. Many struggle to recognize their own dignity. They have had experiences in life that makes them question their own dignity. They seem themselves as unworthy. At times someone will say to me that they are a terrible person when they are confessing their sins.
God was born in a weak little baby in an unimportant place of this planet earth. Emmanuel, God is with us. Each human being has a dignity in the eyes of God. We will find the true God only to the extent that we are able to recognize the dignity of our fellow human beings. Also, to the extent that we recognize our own dignity and worth in the eyes of God.
Emmanuel, God is with us. The mystery of Christmas. Pay attention to the presence of God all around you. Recognize the dignity of your fellow human beings, even those you feel are wrong or undeserving. Also, recognize your own dignity and discover the presence of God in the silence of your heart.
Enter The Narrow Gate
21st Sunday Ordinary Time
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: August 21, 2022
Do not take God for granted. Do not take your salvation for granted.
The disciples ask Jesus, “Will only a few be saved?” He tells them, or perhaps warns them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door.”
The Prophet Isaiah presents a vision of the God who gathers all nations. God wills all to be saved, all to be gathered together. But, Jesus calls us to enter by the narrow door and tells a parable of the owner of the house who has shut the door and you are outside knocking at the door wanting to be let in. The owner replies, “I do not know where you come from.” They say that they ate and drank with him, but the owner again replies, “I do not know where you come from.”
Do not take for granted your salvation, do not take your relationship with God for granted.
You are not saved by being in the right nation, or the right religion, or the right church, or being in the right group or right family. Often in our world being in the right family, or right nation, or right group, gives you an advantage. But, in the eyes of God, none of that matters.
Enter by the narrow gate, do not take for granted your relationship with God, do not take for granted your friendship with Jesus. Do not think that because you are a Christian, because you are a practicing Catholic, that the owner will know you and let you in.
God’s will is our salvation. It is not that God does not want us to be saved. In Jesus, God has revealed the desire to be an intimate friend with all of us. But, not based on piety or purity or externals. Are we open to being a friend with God, even when it challenges me, when it calls me to change?
Last week I read about someone interviewing a theologian for a book. He asked him, “If someone asked you how to go about finding God, what would you say?” This was his answer. He referred to the words that C.G. Jung had chiseled on his stone lintel in Switzerland that basically said, “You will eventually find God whether you want to or not.” Then he said, “If you want to (even if you don’t happen to believe God exists) all you have to do is find some quiet place, be quiet inside yourself, and ask God to let you find God (or God you).” Then he said that as far as he knew it was a prayer that is always answered.
Let God find you, open your heart to allow God to enter.
God wants to find you, wants to spend time with you, wants a friendship with you. Often we do not want that narrow gate that requires me to be silent, requires me to change, requires me to have new priorities, requires me to be humble.
It is not enough to know about God, to know about the Faith. We need to embrace God, work to be one with God, find God or be found by God in our life.
Everyone close your eyes. Be quiet inside yourself for a moment. Then silently say this prayer, “God, let me find you or you find me.”
Do not take God for granted, we do not want to be like those standing on the outside knocking on the door. Enter by the narrow door, be found by God so that God knows you and lets you in.