Tuesday, January 4, 2011

I don't have to imagine

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You, Jesus, or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine!
~MercyMe


This has been done before, but it just hit me so strongly this evening that I had to restate it. I was walking home, listening to some of my "new" music (realplayer download is amazing - youtube videos get changed to mp3 and then onto my ipod they go) when this song by MercyMe started to play. The lyrics tell of the singer's wonderings about heaven and how they would react to seeing God face to face. The thing is, I, and all other Catholics, don't have to imagine.

I love Tuesday afternoon/evenings. First of all, I end my work day in music with Year 5 and then sometimes choir practice. Then, I get to leave work by 3, at the latest. I have the rest of the afternoon free and then, get to go to Adoration before daily Mass - with the Gregorian Chant group because it's Tuesday.

Getting back to imagining. I don't have to imagine what I will do when I am in God's presence or what I will do when I see His glory - because I've already been there. That's what Adoration is: beholding the face of God. Spending time with Him, in the Real Presence of the Eucharist. And then, that is followed by Mass which goes so much further than anything the singer is imagining. In the words of St. Maximilian Kolbe: "If Angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion." So, not only do we have no need to imagine, we also have a privilege far greater than being surrounded by His glory.

On the other hand, kneeling in adoration a few hours later, another thought came to me. No, I don't have to imagine what it will be like to behold the Face of God. However, what I cannot begin to fathom is how He - the God of the universe - could humble Himself to take the form of a piece of bread. That's what I can only imagine.

(3 points if you can identify the Catholic speaker I quoted in the last paragraph... it's a simple statement but one of his favorites)

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