Blog #74 BLINK!

BLOG # 74 BLINK ! Blink your eyes ! Go ahead, I mean it. ( Pause). I wonder how many people blinked their eyes. Whether you did or not, the experience you are having can give you an idea of what it is like to be a Christian. There is a certain mystery involved in the number of people who blinked their eyes, and before that in the number of people who happened to be reading this BLOG and received the invitation. Some people probably blinked their eyes at the mere suggestion. Others in the second paragraph, and perhaps others before they put the Blog away. Others won't do it voluntarily. Altogether, if all who received the invitation blinked their eyes there would be a lot of blinking people. And then if they, in turn, extended the invitation to others it would not be long before the entire neighborhood would have blinked their eyes. In Jesus the invitation goes out to be born from above by faith and Baptism into the world we know today, among your friends and mine. Then to grow with Jesus, to discover the miracle of prayer, of receiving and granting forgiveness, and of sharing the wonder of the water of ordinary realities transformed into the wine of our Father's love. This is part of the vision a Christian holds dear. Thanks to our Father the Christian knows the goodness and love of Jesus our Savior. He dedicates himself to announcing the Good News of Jesus to others. As I said "Blink your eyes !" the Christian says: "Love Jesus, believe in Him,trust Him, imitate Him." There is a parallel between what I have done and what the Christian is chosen and sent to do. And there is a parallel in the response that is given. Why is it that some people believe and some do not? In searching for the answer we are confronted with at least a threefold mystery, the mystery of reality itself, of individuality, and that of freedom. The reality is that some do not receive the invitation at all, each one understands it in his or her own way, and all are given the freedom to say yes or no. We know that God "wills that all be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2: 4). "Pray to the Lord of the harvest that He send laborers into the harvest field." ( Mat 9: 37f). "I want my house to be full." ( Luke 14: 13. God desires that all people share the knowledge, love, and joy of Jesus. And what a joy it is to have heard the invitation, to have understood it, and to be given new life in Jesus! Thank you. Lord !