Happy Halloween!
The first reading from the book of Wisdom presents us with a very scary thought – at least for those of us who like to think that we are the center of our own universe. From God’s perspective, the book of Wisdom says, the entire universe is only a “grain of sand.” And not even a grain of sand enjoying an independent existence: “How could a thing remain, unless You willed it?”
From God’s point of view all of our grandest designs don’t amount to much. From the point of view of one’s Ego, however, it’s all about me – or at least what I think is me. And the Ego is driven to preserve itself at all cost.
Maybe all of this isn’t so, scary, however, if each one of us can take a moment to peek around the edges of our respective Egos. When we do that, we share the perspective of the author of the book of Wisdom – and come to see that the true self has been lying in God’s embrace, safe and sound all along. Each and every moment, God loves and sustains that true self into existence and invites each of us to truly own it. This insignificant grain of sand turns out to be quite precious after all.
Perhaps each of us could spend a quiet moment this weekend just thinking about this awesome mystery . Soon we may find ourselves, like Zaccheus in the gospel, “receiving Jesus with great joy.”
Jim Philipps (3rd millennium pilgrim)
(To find my book-length writings on the scriptures, go to www.twentythirdpublications.com)
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