Closeness of God

Homily for Wednesday of the 3rd Week in Lent

When admonishing the children of Israel to hear and observe the commandments and statutes of God, Moses offers this motivation: “What great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us?” Yesterday I mentioned that the Hebrew word for “sacrifice” literally mean “to draw near.” So, while temple offerings were to draw the people near to God, the commandments and statutes were God’s way of drawing close to the people.

Let the word “close” be our mindfulness trigger today. No matter what we do today, let us remember that God has chosen to remain close to us and is literally right beside us as we eat, as we sleep, as we walk, as we pray, and as we offer God our Lenten sacrifices.

Remaining close to the God who has decided to be near to us should be our aim today as we continue our Lenten journey. As we receive God in the Eucharist this morning, embrace the Lord with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength, and with all your soul. Just as the groom wishes to be near the bride, so we wish to be close to our God throughout the day.