Thought for the Day – 25 May – Living in the Presence of God

Thought for the Day – 25 May – “Mary’s Month” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Living in the Presence of God

“The ability to live always in the presence of God, is the foundation of the spiritual life.
It is an unquestionable fact, that we are always i the presence of God.
“In Him, we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
But, we must be aware of this divine presence.
If we really live all the time in the presence of God, we shall be able to avoid sin, practise virtue and enjoy God’s close friendship.
How can we offend God, our Creator, Redeemer and Judge, if we remember that we are being watched by Him?
“If we reflect on the presence of God,” says St Thomas Aquinas, “we shall hardly ever sin” (Opusc 58:2).
“If we keep ourselves always in the presence of God,” writes St John Chrysostom, “we shall think no evil, say no evil and do no evil” (Hom 8 ad Phil 2).

When we are always aware of God’s presence and realise that He is absolute truth, goodness and beauty, we shall be moved to love and imitate Him.
“Walk in my presence and be perfect” (Gen 17:1).
Because God is our only true good, we shall try, by every means in our power, to live close to Him and to offer Him all the thoughts, desires and actions of our day.
The rare moments of formal prayer will not be enough for us then but, we shall long to be in constant communication with God.

When boiling water is moved away from the fire, it gradually loses it’s heat.
It is the same with us, St John Chrysostom remarked, when we move away from our awareness of God.   We must live in His presence all the time and must check ourselves immediately, if we notice that we are slipping away from this ideal.

My dear Mother Mary, you who lived in the intimate presence of God, obtain for me also this great grace, so that I may avoid sin, do good and love God upon earth, in the hope of enjoying Him forever in Heaven.  Amen.“

Antonio Cardinal Bacci