Today the different
religions are highly respected. They all express man's quest of transcendence,
of the great beyond, of the everlasting realities. And yet, in Christianism,
plunging its roots in Judaism, this phenomenon is the other way round: it is
God Who is in quest of man.
As John Paul II reminded us, God wants to get closer to
man. God wants to address him his words, to show him his face for He is seeking
closeness with him. This becomes a reality with the people of Israel, people
chosen by God to receive his words. This is Moses' own experience when he says:
«What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the
Lord, our God, is near us whenever we pray to him?» (Deut 4:7). And,
even then, the psalmist says «God has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and
decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his
law» (Ps 147:19-20).
Therefore, Jesus, with his presence, abides by God's wish
to get closer to man. This is why He says «Do not think that I have come to
remove the Law and the Prophets. I have not come to remove but to fulfill them»
(Mt 5:17). He comes to enrich us, to enlighten us, so that men come to
know God's true face and may enter in closeness with him.
In this way, to ignore God's suggestions, no matter how
insignificant, involves a very paltry knowledge of God which, in turn, involves
being considered as small in the Kingdom of Heaven. In this connection, Saint Theophilus of Antioch, said «God is seen only
by those who can see him; all they need is to have the eyes of the spirit
opened (...), but some men have them blurred».
In our prayer we are aiming to faithfully follow the
indications of our Lord. Thus, we shall have a greater closeness with him and, therefore,
we shall be considered big in the Kingdom of Heaven.
