Day 358: Who Art in Heaven (2794-2802)
It’s Day 358!!
“WHO ART IN HEAVEN”
Paragraph 2794 says, “This biblical expression does not mean a place (‘space’), but a way of being; it does not mean that God is distant, but majestic. Our Father is not ‘elsewhere’: he transcends everything we can conceive of his holiness. It is precisely because he is thrice-holy that he is so close to the humble and contrite heart. ‘Our Father who art in heaven’ is rightly understood to mean that God is in the hearts of the just, as in his holy temple. At the same time, it means that those who pray should desire the one they invoke to dwell in them. ‘Heaven’ could also be those who hear the image of the heavenly world, and in whom God dwells and tarries.”
We are made for Heaven
YOU are made for Heaven
Paragraph 2796 says, “When the Church prays ‘our Father who art in heaven,’ she is professing that we are the People of God, already seated ‘with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus’ and ‘hidden with Christ in God;’ yet at the same time, ‘here indeed we groan, and long to put on our heavenly dwelling.’ [Christians] are in the flesh, but do not live according to the flesh. They spend their lives on earth, but are citizens of heaven.”
We get to talk about Heaven today and Heaven is a gift
Let’s pray!!
Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, thank you. Thank you that in heaven you are in your majesty. You are not far from us. You are not distant from us. You are not remote from us. You are majestic. You are transcendent, and yet you are so imminent, you are so close. Lord God, you are closer to us than we are to ourselves. You know us better than we know ourselves. You love us more truly than we love ourselves. Thank you. Thank you. May you be praised. May you be glorified. God, I pray that this day more and more people come to know you. And in knowing you and knowing your true identity, they love you. And in loving you, we all become like you. Lord God, help us to become like you. We make this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen”
So there we have it!!
Paragraph 2794 says, “This biblical expression does not mean a place (‘space’), but a way of being; it does not mean that God is distant, but majestic. Our Father is not ‘elsewhere’: he transcends everything we can conceive of his holiness. It is precisely because he is thrice-holy that he is so close to the humble and contrite heart. ‘Our Father who art in heaven’ is rightly understood to mean that God is in the hearts of the just, as in his holy temple. At the same time, it means that those who pray should desire the one they invoke to dwell in them. ‘Heaven’ could also be those who hear the image of the heavenly world, and in whom God dwells and tarries.”
God is not distant
God is not absent
“Our Father who art in Heaven…” does not imply that God can’t hear anything or that He is just watching
Let’s listen to Fr. Mike talk about Bette Midler’s song called “From a Distance”…
Bette’s vision of God is not true
God is NOT watching us from a distance
God is PRESENT to us
God is IMMINENT
God TRANSCENDS everything
BUT…
GOD IS NOT DISTANT
God is not elsewhere
God is close
God is with you RIGHT NOW
This is about transformation, not data transfer
This is about learning what prayer is like so that we can become people of prayer
God is with you RIGHT NOW as you are listening to this podcast
To realize God’s presence is one of the CRITICAL ASPECTS OF PRAYER
We aren’t talking to a ceiling when we pray
We aren’t talking to a crucifix when we pray
We aren’t talking to icons when we pray
God is so close to the humble and contrite heart
Your heart
My heart
“God, you are here. You are not just here when I press stop. You are not just here when I go into a church. God, you are here right now.”
Paragraph 2795 says, “The symbol of the heavens refers us back to the mystery of the covenant we are living when we pray to our Father. He is in heaven, his dwelling place; the Father’s house is our homeland. Sin has exiled us from the land of the covenant, but conversion of heart enables us to return to the Father, to heaven. In Christ, then, heaven and earth are reconciled, for the Son alone ‘descended from heaven’ and causes us to ascend there with him, by his Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension.”
Heaven is where you and I are meant to be
Paragraph 2795 is THE GOSPEL
Whoa!! Fr. Mike stopped himself from saying INCREDIBLE and said AMAZING instead!! 😉
Even though we groan here on earth in this life and we long to put on our heavenly dwelling, we long to go to the Father’s house and we long to dwell forever with Him in Eternity
AND YET…
We already have a foretaste of that
Because if you are baptized, you are in Christ
Christ is already seated with Him in the heavenly places
John 14:2-4 says, “In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have said I would go ahead and prepare a place for you? And then I will return to you, I will come back to you and bring you to myself so that where I am you also may be, where I am going you know the way.”
Jesus loves you so much
You may think you’re a sinner and you’re not very good
Jesus knows all of that and He still has prepared a place for you
Why?
So that when He comes back, He will bring you to Himself so that where He is, you also may be
JESUS WANTS TO BE WITH YOU!!
Do you realize that God wants to be with you?
God wants you to be where He is
God’s love for you is personal
God has a place for you
It is in the Great Kingdom
It is in the great family of God
It is in the great Church of God
It is in the Church Triumphant
John 14:5-6 says, “Thomas said to him, ‘Master, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
“Ok, God, Jesus Christ, Father in Heaven, Holy Spirit come and bring me to yourself so that where you are, we also may be.”
Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!
Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!
Like sands through the hourglass…so are these words that I type….