I once was having lunch at McDonald’s quietly sitting by myself. Two women, with trays in hand, came and sat at the table in front of me. One of them turned around and, spotting me, asked in an enthusiastic voice, “Are you a priest?” When I answered yes, she enthusiastically asked again, “Are you a Catholic priest?” When I answered yes again, she most enthusiastically asked me, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?” I enthusiastically answered her that I did and that believing in Jesus Christ is what it is all about!
The woman went on to tell me that the other woman, her friend, was experiencing some difficulty in her life, and because of it was losing her faith in God. She wanted me to speak to her friend about this. She told me she had told her friend that no matter how difficult things were, she could not lose her faith in Jesus Christ because then she would lose all hope of everything. She expressed to her friend that faith makes all the difference in the world and, by not having faith, her situation was not going to get any better. It was only faith, especially in Jesus Christ, that would hold her together and keep her moving for the future.
I told the woman that she had said it all to her friend. I did speak briefly to her friend but only reiterated what she had already heard from her. The meeting was a brief one but one in which God certainly revealed His presence in these two women in a very real way. I was inspired by the encounter and especially surprised by her question, which I never expected, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?” Truly, God speaks to us many times in unexpected ways.
It is good for us to realize that God will reveal Himself to us and certainly has already done so in various ways. Especially as we celebrate Mass, listen to His Word in the Scriptures, pray and celebrate the sacraments, God is revealing Himself to us most definitely. So many times, we can be caught up in so many things that we get distracted during these sacred moments or even take them for granted. Because of this, we miss the presence of God, who is right before us. It is good for us to simply resolve to concentrate on the sacred moments in a more concerted way in order that we may hear God speaking to us and know His presence in our lives.
God speaks to us in many unexpected ways. Through the daily encounters of our lives, the people we meet, the joys we experience, and sometimes in the annoying events before us, God is present and speaking to us. It is good to try to discern God’s presence in these events when we least expect Him to be before us. It is also good for us to realize that many times we are the vehicles of God’s presence to others and He uses us as encounters of grace. So many times, we are not aware of this.
Jesus knows well our fears of the unexpected. One of the things that He stresses over and over again in the Gospels is the need for us to recognize the centrality of God’s love within our lives in order that our fears might be cast away. Many times, the disciples are distressed over things which are very real and frightening. At these times, Jesus assures them that they should not be afraid because He is with them. Many times, the disciples worry about what is going to happen in the future, and their worries are well-founded. Again, Jesus assures them that they should not worry because He will be with them and the Holy Spirit will always guide them even in the most difficult of times. He tells His disciples that if they seek God first and make Him the center of their lives, all the things they need will be given to them. He says, “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself” (Mt 6:34), and in times of persecution they are not to worry about what to say as “it will not be you who speak, but the spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Mt 10:20).
We are always looking for new things, and new things bring us a certain joy. We look forward to and anticipate receiving new things, and sometimes the anticipation supersedes the joy of actually getting them. When we think of material things, such as a new home, car, iPhone or whatever else, there is always an enjoyment of the novelty which they bring. In the more important gifts of life, such as a newborn baby, an enduring relationship of love or an insight into ourselves, newness reawakens the joy of life in a deeper sense. When God created us, He created us from nothing and brought newness to life. Newness is of the very essence of God, not in the sense of novelty but always in the context of pure love, which many times is unexpected.
Jesus’ message to us is one that is filled with unexpectedness. God’s infinite love is revealed in His beloved Son, taking our human nature and becoming one of us. The unexpectedness of the Incarnation transforms the very nature of humanity, for it becomes the place where God Himself dwells. Jesus continually urges us not to stand in fear before God even in our limitations and sinfulness. He reminds us that He did not come to call the just but to call sinners (cf. Lk 5:32). He tells us that we cannot pour new wine into old skins as it will be destructive (cf. Mk 2:22). In the Eucharist, He gives us a “new covenant,” which is that of His very Body and Blood (cf. Mt 26:29), which we celebrate upon the altar and receive as our food for life. He gives us a “new commandment,” which is to love one another as He has loved us (cf. Jn 13:34). It is in this new commandment that truly we are able to cast out all fear and to be touched by the love of God which makes us new.
Jesus reminds us after His Resurrection and Ascension that He makes all things new (cf. Rev 21:15). Only in Jesus Christ do we find the joy of life as God touches us and surprises us each and every moment of our lives. We do not have to fear the unexpected because the love of God will never let us down. The more we come to know the Person of Jesus Christ, the more we come to know who we are and what really matters.
My encounter at McDonald’s and the question of the woman, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?” even though I was obviously a Catholic priest, was an unexpected surprise but blessing for me. May we always to be surprised and excited by the presence of God among us as He appears many times in unexpected ways and know the joy which only He can bring.
Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito
