+ "A great prophet has risen in our midst. God has visited his people!" As I proclaim these words here in St. Ambrose Church building, most all of you have pretty much of a grasp of what I am saying: you search quickly into your mental memory banks and retrieve the Folder that has the name "Jesus" written on it! Yes, Jesus is the great prophet who has risen in our midst. Yes, in Jesus, God has visited his people! And each of us, though at a different points of fully grasping the meaning of this concept, we each know at least that the subject and topic and person involved is JESUS!
Now, if you heard the same proclamation made ("A great prophet has risen in our midst. God has visited his people!"), in the exact same way by Katie Couric, Brian Williams or Charles Gibson, it would come across in an entirely different sort of way – and if it was proclaimed by local news anchors it would produce an even different level of reception! Why is that? To put it briefly: the "spirit of 'the world'," in general, is not a "spirit of God" – it is not God-friendly, God-welcoming, God-accepting! In fact, it is God-suspicious, God-dubious, God-disbelieving! Therefore, the exact same proclamation that we hear and receive quite readily in Church becomes something even a bit suspect in our own minds as we sit in front of our televisions at home! And just think of those who choose not to go to any Church at all: who choose to live a "God-Free Life" - these words must sound quite bizarre and even laughable!
This is the heart of the matter! What we embrace is Jesus, as the One True and Great Prophet: the One who not only speaks Words from God the Father to us for our guidance and growth, leading us to everlasting life – but who actually is that very Word Made Flesh and Blood – in a human person – so that we can befriend him and receive all that he came to offer us! And what he has to offer us is an abundance of life: an overflowing measure of spiritual and temporal gifts for our journey into our heavenly homeland: this superabundance is prophesied in the first reading today from the Book of Kings: "they shall eat, and there shall be some left over;" and manifested by Jesus own miraculous feeding of the five thousand: "they had their fill, and twelve baskets of fragments was left over!"
This miraculous feeding of course was also a prophecy of Jesus' Great Feeding of his Flock that would continue throughout the ages until the end of time in the Most Blessed Eucharist (the Holy Communion of his very real Body and Blood that we receive at this and every Mass) that he gave to the Catholic Church to treasure, eat, adore and preserve on earth until he comes again! Our beloved Friend did not want to leave us alone; without his presence and spiritual energy!
Yes, the Great Prophet, Jesus, has visited us and he has provided a way to remain with us – THIS WE BELIEVE! THIS WE CELEBRATE! THIS WE TREASURE! And this message with its invitation to "come and experience it for yourself" is entrusted to us to carry to all people everywhere, most especially to all those hungry and thirsting souls who are daily watching the CBS, ABC, NBC Nightly News!
A great prophet has risen in our midst. God has visited his people! Come to him – and let him feed you with what only He can give you – his very Self!
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