Meeting God in the Moment
Making Meaning of the Message
As Christians, we all want and desire to meet God in this moment. But too often, we’re trying to figure out how to do that instead of actually doing what God told us. We have to be still first; only then do we start to experience a change inside. Then the power of God’s Spirit awakens us to God’s presence.
Over the years, many people have told me, “When I pray or when I’m in church at Mass, I don’t feel anything inside.” I tell them, “You may be praying, and you may be in church physically, but your mind is somewhere else.” As Christians, we believe that God reveals the divine presence to us—which is absolutely true. But we forget that God is always in this moment, revealing this presence to us. Our problem is that we’re rarely in this moment with God.
So how can we experience God’s presence within us and all around us? By becoming more present in our daily lives, especially when we pray or when we’re at Mass, through the practice of presence. Before we are still, it’s like looking out a foggy window and not being able to tell what we’re looking at or what we’re looking for. When we become still, everything starts to become clear.
Set the Intention
God, this moment is where your peace can be found always. All goodness comes from you.
Practice Presence
Bring in stillness and ask yourself the three questions to gauge your progress:
Am I present now?
How do I feel inside?
Do I have a sense of peace within at some level?
See pages 10–11 of Choosing Presence for the details of this exercise or use the Practicing Presence—A Christian Way app to help you remember to take three conscious breaths or more every hour, to access God’s spiritual energy.
*Heaney, Jim. “Meeting God in the Moment.” Choosing Presence, Turning Stone Press, 2020, pp. 22-23. [Adapted with permission.]
