“All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him” (Lk 10:22).
God the Father knows God the Son and God the Son knows the Father. They do not just know about each other, they know each other with a deep intimacy that is far beyond our human comprehension. What can blow our mind even more, if we take the time to contemplate this gift we are preparing to celebrate this Advent, the coming of Jesus into our lives, is the deepest reality that this infinite knowing between God the Father and God the Son we can participate in!
“… anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” Jesus wished and wishes to reveal his Father, he came for exactly that reason: to reveal his Father to us, to undo the effects of the sin of separation that has so ruptured and wounded our relationship with God our Father. He came as reconciliation, he came to restore our relationship with God. In this way we can come not just to know about God, but to intimately know God as he does.
For us to know God the Father ourselves is beyond an intellectual exercise, it is beyond the grasp of scientific empiricism. Knowing God is who he has created us to be and is a gift of grace restored to us through his Son who became one with us so we could become one with him. Knowing God the Father is not about proving that he exists, this will end in utter frustration because God is not a being, though he is the infinite foundation of our existence. We can discuss attributes about God, what God is and more easily what God is not.
If we want to know God, we are invited to do so as we would get to know anyone else. We are invited to spend time with him. The amazing part about all of this is that the infinite creator of all existence, knows us, us!!! We in the whole realm of the cosmos are so insignificant it is beyond the realm of the deepest imaginative pursuits, but he knows us and wants to be known by us. Does he need us, no. Sorry, if you feel that is a slight. But it is really a deeper wonder! God does not need us in the least, but loves us and seeks to be in relationship with us.
Spend today embracing the wonder of creation, the wonder of our creator, the vast expanse of it all, have you seen the moon the past few nights? May we sit in silent wonder and adoration in the gift that the season of Advent lays out for us: the wonder of wonders is that Jesus wishes to reveal his Father to us so that we can enjoy getting to know the Father and the Son, and so we can share the same Love they share, God the Holy Spirit!
Photo of buffalo I took while driving in South Dakota in between Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations – a moment of wonder at God’s creation as it appeared the buffalo were walking right out of the sun.
Link for today’s Mass readings:
Spiritual Stepping Stones 