17 May 2014 - all the ends of the earth

17 May 2014 - all the ends of the earth

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? 

We can't just look at the Father.  We want to see him, of course.  We sense that if we see him we will finally find an answer to all the longings of our hearts.  But who shall climb the mountain of the LORD and stand in his holy place?  Only the one with clean hands and a pure heart! (cf. Psa. 24:3).  Without holiness no one can see God (cf. Heb. 12:14).  We are like Moses who will surely die if we look upon his glory directly.  What an impasse!  Purpose and meaning, but it will kill us to behold directly!  But Jesus tells us that the pure of heart shall see God.  They shall have their longings fulfilled.  And while for man this level of purity is impossible with God all things are possible (cf. Mat. 19:26).

Philip asks Jesus to show them Father and in doing so reveals that the disciples don't see Jesus clearly either.  Whoever sees Jesus sees the Father.  To see Jesus is a transformative thing.  There are many levels of seeing with him.  We imagine to see and walk with the physical Jesus at that time would be so helpful.  But the crowds see a mere person from Nazareth.  Yet if they continue to look they will be changed from one degree of glory to the next (cf. 2 Cor 3:18).  As we fix our gaze on Jesus in the places he is present to us we are more and more purified to see him.  Looking at him is the very thing that provides the light to see him.  He teaches us to see with the eyes of our hearts (cf. Eph 1:18) that he is present in the poor and disadvantaged, present in his people gathered, present in his word, and above all present in the Eucharistic species.  When we see this way we begin to behold him not just as he appears at a superficial level but as he truly is.  Only gazing upon the adorable Trinity itself could enlighten us like this.  Only the act of beholding that bond of love could transform us like this.  How could selfishness and pride do anything but melt away before this vision?

Is it any wonder that the whole city gathers to hear Paul talk about this?  Jesus is a light to the nations and the nations are tired of darkness.  It is good to know that the world wants what Jesus gives.  When we realize this we are more quick to offer it to them.  Hopefully even today the world can see that the "disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit."  That's us they're talking about!  Hopefully the world will seek the source of that joy and that light themselves until:

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.