How we can see more clearly

Have you ever looked through a pair of binoculars and marveled at how close something in the distance can appear? This impression is even stronger when we gaze at the stars through a telescope or view images recorded from satellites that are many miles above us in space. Suddenly, we find ourselves able to focus on something that was previously unapproachable. The object was there, we just could not perceive it without help.

Perhaps this is a good image for us to consider when we think about our faith in Christ. Without the vision of faith, God seems distant and unapproachable. When we develop eyes of faith, we see the world and all who dwell in it, and then perceive God’s creative hand. We interact with others and recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit; we experience love, forgiveness and mercy through another or in a special way in the sacraments, and we know Christ in our midst.

When we keep our sight fixed on Christ, God is closer than we dare imagine. Such vision is a matter of faith, and of commitment. It is easy to lose this vision, due to difficult life circumstances or through simple indifference — we become numb to the glory of God and more readily see the things of the world, the activities of our lives, the mundane. Living in this way, we play it safe. When we are numb to God’s grace in our midst, the Gospel will not challenge us. We are more likely to be dissatisfied and unsettled in our lives, always seeking something that is beyond our grasp.
This month, think about how you might develop “binoculars” for your spiritual life — ways that will help you to fix your sight on Christ while keeping God’s love and the call to share it closely in your vision.

This article comes to you from  Grace In Action  ( Our Sunday Visitor ) courtesy of your parish or diocese.