Present to us

How do we celebrate the Presence of God in our lives? The psalmist in the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today calls for a joyful noise to announce the great deeds of God in delivering the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt to life in the Promised Land. The last chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy describes the death of Moses who was led by God to MountNebo where he is shown the Promised Land and where he dies at age 120 in full vigour and is mysteriously buried by God. Friar Jude Winkler notes that the biblical personages, Enoch, Elijah and Moses have special places in apocalyptic literature because of the manner of their death in the Presence of God. We understand and hopefully celebrate the Presence at the moment of death. The Gospel of Matthew points to the understanding of Christians today that Christ is Present in the gathering of two or three in His Name. Friar Jude notes the use of the word “Church” for the second time in this Gospel. Matthew who wrote as a Jew to Jewish followers of Jesus about 80 AD expresses the idea that believers gathered in the Name of God experience wisdom, insight and the grace to make decisions on direction and policy. This is a scriptural incentive to join with Believers and pray to understand the direction we need to take to be the One Body making joyful noise in praise of the Present.