Jesus Near and Far

We can know Jesus because He is right at hand, with us always. At the same time, Jesus is seated on His glorious throne in heaven, and we can know Him there, too. Our readings are from the book, To Know Him. Here is a brief excerpt from pages 11 and 12:

                                                   Who then 
is Jesus? Son of God, and Lord of men
and nations; Savior of His wayward flock;
for floundering sinners, Lifeline, solid Rock,
safe Shoreline, never-failing Friend. Plumb line
of truth, eternal Wisdom to define
and light our way, sustaining Word of power,
repository of all knowing, our
Good Shepherd, ever-present help in time
of need, Reflection – ever so sublime –  
of the eternal, unseen God.                                            

                                              And yet,
though close and caring, Jesus has been set
on high, rewarded for His righteous life
and sin-destroying death. He through the strife
of suffering overcame the grave, and rose
to bring His people life, and all His foes
defeat and death. He sits enthroned in light,
His royal garments radiant and bright,
a golden sash across His chest. He wields
a scepter of uprightness, and the shields
of every tribe and nation at His feet
lay gathered. All throughout His throne room, sweet
smells swirl, while, like the morning mist that shrouds
a mountain, majesty clings to Him. Crowds
of angels and departed saints surround
His throne, and glad refrains of praise abound
from every quarter. Lightning flashes from
His eyes, revealing things that are to come,
and from His mouth a two-edged sword declares
His will, sustains and guides the worlds, and spares
no man the implications of His might.
No darkness can survive His presence. Light
flows from Him like a river, filling all
space, bathing every creature, great and small,
creating each new moment, forged within
the mystery of His Being, and set aspin 
to part the eternal veil, and vivify
the worlds.

For reflection or discussion
1. How do you know and experience Jesus in the close-at-hand, with-us-always ways mentioned in today’s reading?

2. What about your vision of Jesus exalted in glory? How clear are you about that? How consistent are you in setting your mind there? 

He is our Good Shepherd, with us always; and He is our exalted King, ruling the nations. And we can know Him in each of these capacities. But we’ll need to work at it. Order a copy of To Know Him from The Ailbe Bookstore and study the notes and comments that accompany our readings. Since you can truly know Him, why not press on for that prize?