You are there

The Lord was not in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire. "And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice came to him, which said, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' He replied, 'I am filled with jealous zeal for the Lord of Hosts.'" (From the First Reading of Friday, 15 June 2018, 1 Kings 19:9-16.)

Here we see how God revealed himself to Prophet Elijah in the murmur of a gentle breeze. Very often, God's inspirations are subtle and gentle. Only when we are able to attune our ears and hearts to His presence and voice, can we hear his soft-spoken voice. Very often we may have to slow down from the maddening pace of our daily lives in order to meet this God of ours. His voice is gentle, He will never force Himself on us. That is love. Love is not love if it is not free. His presence is almost an absence. His presence is filled with absence, and his absence is full of presence.

God's presence is an Invisible Presence. This is the secret shape of our God. We can easily miss Him, if we are not conscious. If we are not careful, we might miss his message too. God very often does not blast his presence into me, it is so gradual that I need to keep saying "yes" to Him. This is the jealous love (jealous zeal or zealous love) like Prophet Elijah that I need to have when dealing with this Mystery called God. Unless I am present to the here and now, and consciously make efforts I will not be able to understand God's marvellous designs in my life. "Where can I go from your spirit? If I am climb the heavens, you are there. If I lie in the grave, you are there. Even darkness is dark for you" (Psalm 139:7-12). Lord, you are the Hound of Heaven.