Awareness of God

Message from Fr. Jose Koluthara, CMI

Lord Jesus, help us become a power that no evil can defeat by our renewed attentiveness to God in our midst.

My Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Popular among the Greek and Roman tragedians was a theatrical device known in Latin as deus ex machina. That phrase, literally translated, means “God from the machinery”. When deus ex machina was called into play, the featured god would be lowered onto the stage via a pulley to resolve what seemed to be a hopeless situation. In short, deus ex machina is a quick fix in a story.

Is this sort of quick fix for which the Israelites were hoping when through the prophet Isaiah (1st reading Is 63:16-17,19; 64:2-7) they cried out to God to “Tear the heavens and come down”? With their backs against the wall, politically, economically and spiritually, the prophet and his contemporaries sought relief, relying on God’s love and mercy. Isn’t this also the sort of remedy each of us desires?

We see the proliferation of violence and war and we move nearer and nearer to disbelieving that human beings could ever make a lasting peace. We are over-whelmed by ever-increasing immorality and inhumanity that erodes our relationships and wears away at the ethical fabric of our culture. We recognize the unconscionable greed and disregard for justice that too often steer commerce, pollute the environment and control the economy. We bemoan the lack of integrity and altruism in those who are entrusted with the responsibility of leadership. In our frustration, we cry out to God, “Tear open the heavens and come among us to fix all this mess!” And yet, as the annual season of Advent reminds us , our desire for a deus ex machina is unfounded, for God has already come among us, and has chosen to remain with us as bread and wine, as word and spirit, as wisdom, Lord and love.

While much of this holy season is future-focused, in that we anticipate the fully revealed presence of God upon Jesus’ return in glory (Cor. 1:3-9, 2nd reading), these weeks also call us to an existential awareness of God in our midst, in our hands and in our hearts, here and now. This blessing of God’s continuing presence with us has become available to us through the birth of Jesus.

Each Advent, we stir that spark of divine presence into a flame, or at least into a glowing ember, by our renewed attentiveness to God in our midst. Each advent we are renewed in confidence because God is within us. Each Advent we remember that we must work together for good, and together we become a power that no evil can defeat.