Reflection by Sr. Marjorie

On days that we do not have Mass in our monastery chapel, we combine Morning Prayer of the Divine Office with a Communion Service.

One day not long ago as our Eucharistic Minister lifted the white host while declaring, “Behold the Lamb of God…,” it struck me that I could see only Sister’s fingers. At that moment the consecrated Host blended with the white column in our chapel and was invisible to my eyes.

I thought to myself, “Now really, isn’t that what the Incarnation is all about?” The Word became flesh and dwells among us. In becoming one of us, Jesus blended so well with our humanity that others did not recognize him as God’s Son. That morning’s experience has remained with me, a gentle reminder of God’s abiding presence in our midst.

As I go about my day, God invites me to pay attention, to look with the eyes of faith, to be surprised by God. It takes conscious effort to cultivate an awareness of God’s presence. When I focus my attention beyond the immediate, I experience something greater than meets the eye in the events and persons who touch my life each day.

As I could not see the sacred Host against the backdrop of the white column, I easily miss opportunities to hear God’s voice over the din of everyday life. When I allow myself to see with the eyes of faith, I find God everywhere!

This brings to mind the experience of Mary Magdalen and the apostles on the morning of Christ’s resurrection. They stared into the tomb containing only Jesus’ burial cloths. John peered into the empty tomb and believed. Mary Magdalen dismissed the person she thought was a gardener, until he spoke her name. She then recognized her Lord and God. God desires that we, too, experience with the heart what cannot be seen with our eyes.