The Journey of Seeking the Face of God

Reflection on Today's Readings, 10th Week in Ordinary Time Year II, Friday 12th June, 2020
Texts: 1Kgs. 19:9a.11-16; Ps. 27:7-9,10-14; Mtt. 5:27-32
The response to today's psalm says, "It is your face, O Lord, that I Seek". Seeking the face of God is part of christian life. Seeking his face is placing one's hope in him or relying on him for help, deliverance, salvation, etc. In today's first reading, Elijah came to the mount of Horeb to seek the face of God, for his life was in danger. This teaches us who God is to us: he is not only our creator but also our protector, our refuge, our Saviour. God did not create us and abandon us ; he is actively involved in our lives individually and collectively.
When Elijah was on the  mount, he had four experiences: storm, earthquake, fire and stillness. Storm, earthquake, fire and stillness are imageries describing our experiences in the journey of seeking the face of God. The storm is the imagery of doubt. In the journey of seeking the face of God, doubt often comes to assail us; it tosses us about like tree that is tossed about by storm. If we refuse to give in, then, the foundation of our faith will be attacked. We begin to doubt whether God we come to help us.
The earthquake is the imagery of the attack and shaking of our faith. We may beging to ask whether there is God or begin to say that Christianity is a whiteman religion, it is an imposition on us. If we survive this stage, then we enter the stage of purification, which the imagery of fire represents. At this time we see the need to detach ourselves from certain things and we will begin to feel the pain of detachment. In the gospel, Jesus Christ emphasizes detachment from what can lead us to sin or another person to sin. Jesus affirms that whoever divorces his wife makes her an adultress and asks us to desist from it. It is also a period of contrition; we feel sorry for all the wrongs we might have done. This also comes with a kind of pain, which can be called the pain of contrition. When we have gone over the pains of detachment and contrition, then comes stillness. At this time storm of senses has been subsided, distraction from attachment and sins gone, we can now hear the still small voice of God, the voice that speaks of peace for his people, the voice that brings deliverance and salvation to man, the voice that recreates and renews all things.

God our Father, help us to always seek your face untiringly. Amen

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke