For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected when received with thanksgiving. -- 1 Timothy 4:4
I am still bathing in the experience of celebrating the birth of a new Catholic parish called Divine Mercy in Las Vegas. The faith and enthusiasm of the people and their love for God are an inspiration. Yet, I was sad to learn that some people stay away from receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion because they think they are not worthy.
Let me help you with that kind of thinking by saying it is simply not true. Why do I say that because my experience of God is that He is a God of love. It is impossible for God, whose essence is love, to create anything that is not good.
Sometimes, our own labels of "good" and "bad" get in the way of our ability to see the goodness of God in its fullness. Paul challenges Timothy, and us, to renegotiate our categories and to simply receive all that God creates with thanksgiving. We believe that God created us and loved us into being.
How many times have we heard phrases such as “We are created in God’s image and likeness” or “God doesn’t make junk”? I cannot count the number of times I heard these words! Why then, is this basic principle of our creation so hard to understand about ourselves and about other people?
Why is it so hard for us to believe that God is still part of our ongoing creation, that God is awakening goodness in us, that God is calling goodness out of us, and that God is birthing goodness into the world through us?
Regretfully, we priests are guilty because we have preached from the pulpit that we are not perfect and therefore sinful and not worthy to come to the altar to receive the God of life. We preach the need for confession and trust in the mercy of God. Forgive us Lord for being so brutal that people stay away from this beautiful sacrament in which you simply want to give us a hug that says “I love you—for you are the best of My creation.”
Perhaps, it's life’s events, which at times bring anger, worry, sadness, or tiredness into our hearts, and block our ability to understand that all that God created is good and that includes ourselves. Sometimes, it might be our own sinful choices that block our ability to see our own goodness or the goodness in others. God grant us the serenity to have the courage to accept our weaknesses and yet, come to the communion rail knowing you want to bathe us again in your love.
How can we combat our ability to not see God’s goodness at work in ourselves?
We can ask for eyes to see as God does, and we can daily review our day, offering prayers of thanksgiving for the gifts of our lives. This simple practice of offering God thanks every day for the gifts of our lives fosters awareness of God’s abundant goodness in all that God creates.
For what did I give thanks on Thanksgiving Day. today. At the top of the list, Divine Mercy where I witnessed lots of smiling faces filled with love of family and love for one another, plus an off key enthusiastic pastor who inspires his people with lots of “Polish smiles.”
Next time you come to church, don’t hesitate when Fr. Adam invites you to receive Holy Communion. Come, see and taste the goodness of the Lord, for He sees the good in all of us.
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends, and new Friends at Divine Mercy that they come to your altar and receive your scared Body and Blood for you want them to be close to you always. Open our eyes to see that all you create is good.
