Whenever
we glimpse the glory of God we
experience briefly the
happiness for which we hope. We
can see that glory in the icy
sparkle of a winter’s day, in
the birth of a child, in the
excellence of athletes or in
the beauty of the arts. The
glory of God can be revealed in
many ways, and it always brings
joy.
We can
only glimpse God’s glory
because its fullness remains
hidden. As wonderful as this
world is, the promised world of
eternal life will be far
greater. That hidden world
opens to us in slits of time,
in meteoric glints of space. We
see God’s glory in small signs,
but they suffice to alert us to
the grandeur of heaven.
Isaiah
prophesied that the glory of
God would be revealed in the
reshaping of land and the
witness of people. Deserts and
wastelands would become paved
paths, and all people would see
it together. Exiles would
return and God would appear
with power.
The
desert of Israel’s longing
became eternally transformed in
the splash of Jordan’s waters.
There the glory of God was
revealed as never before, at
the baptism of Jesus.
As the
Christmas season draws to its
close, we reflect back on its
joy. In the shimmering glow of
a celebration that pushes back
the enveloping darkness of
nature’s winter, we glimpse the
glory of God.
Written
by Paul Turner.
Copyright 2003, Archdiocese of
Chicago
Liturgy Training Publications.
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