God is present when two or three are gathered together in His Name (Matthew l8:20). He is present when the family headed by the father prays the grace before and after every meal.
Our Lord is present in the hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned, homeless, children in conflict with the law. Jesus assures us of His unique presence in them when He said: “As often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for Me” (Matthew 25:40).
Big grace simple acts
Finally, He is undoubtedly present in the power of forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation, the cleansing water of baptism, in the marriage vows of two people in love and, most specially, in the consecrated Bread in the Holy Eucharist.
If you so desire to meet God, to feel His Presence and talk to Him in a most intimate way, go to the Blessed Sacrament, for He is there ever alive and always waiting. Such is our Catholic Faith in the ordinariness of his Teacher.
Oil, water and wine, bread
For us, God is ever present in the ordinary: In the oil, water and wine, bread, in fellowship, in the poor, in the little and simple events of our lives, in the human signs (we call Sacraments and sacramentals).
When our Lord began His public ministry He chose twelve ordinary men as companions and friends, with no impressive doctorates, flashy titles, ounce of influence, dazzling fanfare, chairmanship in a board, no fat bank accounts.
In choosing twelve ordinary men, Jesus was telling the ever-glamorous world: Give me a few ordinary men and I will change the face of the earth. I have chosen the weak to shame the strong, I have chosen the simple to shame the great (1 Corinthians 1:27-28).
Ordinariness is simplicity. A Christian who strives to live a humble life in the midst of greatness and keepa a low profile in the midst of power follows the footsteps of the Master.
A decision, a choice
Today, ordinariness is a decision, a choice to eat simple food, mindful of the millions who go to bed with empty stomachs. It means a preference to don a simple dress or clothing, remembering the naked and the street children. It means a deliberate effort to celebrate great occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, weddings or fiestas sans the ostentation and tendency to splurge. Ordinariness could translate to a show of courageous willingness to face and take on even the most menial of jobs, simplest of tasks or lowliest of works—following the footsteps of Jesus who was known to be the son of a carpenter.
During his fateful exile in Saint Helena , Napoleon, reminded of his former grandeur, compared his ambitious reign with that of Christ’s reign: “In the past I have stirred thousands upon thousands who died for me, but it was with my presence, my gaze, my voice. One word from me was sufficient to compel them all. But now here in Saint Helena , who will fight for me? Who is going to war to conquer kingdoms for me? What a difference between my misery and Christ’s reign that is praised, loved, and adored the world over till the end of time, His kingdom that was conquered by meekness, simplicity, and humility.”
Ordinariness conquers.
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