Thursday of Week 17 in Ordinary Time
Exo 40:16-21, 34-38
Mt 13:47-53
The tabernacle was set up…
When I was young, I was drawn to the tabernacle in the Altar, and in the Adoration Room. The veil added to the mystery, and I wondered what was inside. I remember trying to catch a glimpse every time the priest opened the tabernacle to get the hosts for communion. It is only when I got older that I realized I was asking the wrong question. It’s not what is inside, it’s who is inside.
I must admit that I am not always mindful that in the church, God is physically present. Maybe part of the reason is that our environment today makes it so easy for us to lose the sense of sacredness. I’m very guilty of going inside the church, with Jesus clearly in the tabernacle, and ‘doom scrolling’ before the Mass instead of praying. If I go inside the church with my friends, you bet that it would only take a few minutes before I would start talking to them. I cannot wait for the final song to end so that I can rush out somewhere.
I’m sure my experience is not unique. Is it because God has made himself so accessible in many parts of the world that we sometimes take it for granted?
Just last May, I attended Mass in a province in the Philippines. We attended the Sunday afternoon Mass as we had just come from an outing. My cousin was dressed in shorts, and was wearing sandals. He was refused entry into the church. I was glad I was wearing a proper dress. To some, this might seem like an extreme case. However, it sent a very clear message to me that proper decorum and proper dressing is a MUST when standing before the king of Kings.
As beings made of body and soul, we worship and connect with God not just through our minds and hearts, but also through our bodies. That’s probably also one of the reasons why God has arranged for the possibility of his physical presence to be everywhere. Our genuflects, our kneeling, our bowing, our keeping silent is a way to help us enter into communion with our Lord. Perhaps, when we slow down, and be intentional with our actions, then we will be more aware of the presence of Jesus in our midst.
One final point is that after receiving our Lord in the Holy Communion, we become tabernacles as well. So, at the end of the Mass, when the priest says, ‘Go forth,’ we carry Jesus with us as we go out of the church. Do we carry ourselves with this thought, or do we just rush out to our next appointment?
When we attend our next Mass, I pray that we all can have a deeper awareness of God’s presence.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Stephanie Villa)
Prayer: Lord, please give me the gift of piety.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for always being here with us on earth.
OXYGEN 
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