Access to the Blessing

Gospel: Matthew 13: 16-17

Did those who lived and witnessed the words and deeds of Jesus have greater blessings than anyone else from other times and places? Maybe.  If one saw and heard Jesus and rejected him, then perhaps not.  If one saw and heard Jesus and was indifferent to him, not so much.  But yes if one saw and heard him and recognized the blessing that was given to you in our life.

Each one of us has God present within us, in the people we encounter each day, and in all of creation.  Are we conscious of such in our lives? If we are, do we rebel against it, are we indifferent to it, or are we accepting and grateful for it?  We too can be as blessed as those who saw and heard Jesus on earth if we are aware of God's presence and activity in our life as they were of Jesus in theirs.  

There are no times more blessed and privileged than any other, for all times and all places have God present to every human being.  The times are only more or less blessed to the degree in which we are conscious of God's presence in the world; it is a subjective problem, not an objective one.  It is for us to be aware of the reality of God, to rejoice in it, and allow it to transform our lives and world.