OCIA- The journey to God takes action on our part
David asks “why are you cast down, o my soul, and why are you disquieted in me?” (Ps. 42:5).
The longing. The pent up frustration and desire for love. The journey we take, knowing something is not in line with who we are as humans and what we long for. King David felt this, as all humans do, and sums it up in Psalms chapter 42.
Jesus Christ invites us to find hope in the Gospel of John stating “Come to Me all you who thirst…” (Jn. 7:37).
For many it is an unquenchable thirst initiated by the theological virtue of hope that sends us on a journey to find God and what it means to be offered eternal salvation. It can be so overwhelming at times, this virtue of hope, that it drives us to our knees in deep contemplation. It is exactly in this longing, this searching, and this questioning and dare I say, demand, that we are brought to a deeper realization of an eternal being, a creator and a love beyond earthly measure.
The catechism recognizes that we are religious beings with a craving for God, and in fact states that the “…desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God.” (ccc 27). This desire is seen throughout human history and expressed in various religious practices. The discovery of new worlds in the fifteenth and sixteenth century, amazed explorers at how people, never exposed to Christianity, still had some form of worship for an unseen entity. This worship showed a basic human desire in all communities. Indeed, to be human is to search for God.
You can find this thirsting in the story of almost every saint. I would argue that you can find this even in every person. However, in today’s culture we are only moved by big dramatic events in our lives.
We wait for something to force us to deal with this thirst. We want a story, something to witness that is so overwhelming we can’t help but go to God. But let’s get real here. The journey to God takes action on our part. We have to ask ourselves if we truly want truth, happiness and love. We do not have to wait for that. We just have to act. We have to deal with it in a real way. Get Real and God Bless.