Sign from God?

During Christmas Eve Mass, an unexpected visitor was in the church. A cardinal flew in earlier in the day and spent most of its time perched near the tabernacle. My sister-in-law said the presence of that little bird was a sign from God.

What kind of sign from God? That a departed loved one is near. Given the recent passing of my mother and that during her earthly lifetime, Mom loved the sight of cardinals in her backyard, I’m not going to deny the sign.

The fact is signs from God surround us. Our Lord speaks to us through visible creation. “Light and darkness, wind and fire, water and earth, the tree and its fruit speak of God and symbolize both his greatness and his nearness” [CCC 1147].

Connection to Heaven

Are we too distracted to notice and appreciate God’s many signs? Every so often I take the time to go on a spiritual treasure hunt. I look for God in nature, in my surroundings. During those quiet times of contemplation, I feel a greater sense of God’s presence in my life.

That sense brings me peace and joy; Heaven is closer to us than we realize. Therefore, the importance of contemplating God’s presence cannot be overstressed. All the signs and wonders of God—connecting Heaven and earth—are here to help us open our hearts to all the loving graces that God wants to give us.

The challenge is I do not always hold onto that peaceful, joyful feeling. Intellectually, I know God is with me always. Emotionally, however, at times I feel I cannot find God, especially when I think my prayers to Heaven go unanswered. Perhaps my faith is not strong enough to recognize God’s subtleties.

Hidden Presence

Obvious signs from God show our Lord works in our lives. However, sometimes God’s work is hidden. In hindsight, do we see that our Lord stretched out his hand to us in the circumstances we face?

Truly, our Lord wants to be in our lives and make us partakers in his divine nature. In other words, each of us is meant to have a role in God’s plan for salvation. To reach us, God often works through events and the people affecting our lives.

Consider the Book of Ruth. In essence, God worked behind the scenes to draw Ruth into his plan. In every circumstance, Ruth responded with love, humility, and obedience.

Perhaps Ruth did not know that she played a key role in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. However, God’s grace worked in Ruth. She became the mother of Obed who became the father of Jesse who became the father of David. Joseph, the husband to Mary, the Mother of God, descended from the House of David.

God’s Plan

Are we willing to participate in God’s plan of salvation? Are we drawn closer to Jesus Christ our Savior? How do we respond when the Lord’s signs do not meet our personal expectations? Are we humble and obedient?

Hidden or not, God is forever present and works through individuals and events for the world’s redemption. Open to God’s graces, we become participants through our daily living. Like Ruth, we may not know the specific role we play in God’s plan. That is no matter because God knows. Amen.