Entering into the Glory of God and Allowing the Glory of God to Enter into Us

ENTERING INTO THE GLORY OF GOD

In the Gospel we have Jesus proclaiming what will be the defining moment of His life.  Judas had just left the group to plot the plan to turn Jesus over in the garden.  Jesus then tells them, now the Son of God is to be glorified and God is glorified in Him.  Glory flows to the Father and to the Son as the Son surrenders to the will of the Father.  Glory is in the triumph which comes from the cross and the forgiveness of sin won for us by the pouring out of divine blood.  As we reflect on the glory of God, it is easy to picture the images of Jesus on a throne seated at the right hand of the Father. It is easy to see images of Jesus at the ascension and find glory.  All of these provoke a feeling of glory found in power and winning.  Yet Jesus announces a glory found in surrender, death and pain.  The glory is not in Jesus alone, but in the reality that glory always shines on another.  The glory of Jesus shines on the magnificence of the heavenly Father.  God as Father never wants His sinful children to be away from Him so Jesus the Redeemer sheds light and glory on the Father’s love for us.  To meditate on glory is not only to see triumph, but also to see the love of God beyond and behind the sacrifice of Jesus. We sing the Gloria at the celebration of the Eucharist to allow our minds, hearts and souls to be drawn into something magnificent beyond our imagination.

ALLOWING THE GLORY OF GOD TO ENTER INTO US

This is not an easy leap of faith.  To grasp the glory of God in us, we must believe we were created for more than this world.  While we profess this,  it is an overwhelming place to sit with such a reality.  To allow God’s glory to enter into us, we also must grasp and grapple with the invitation to glorify God with our lives.  How does this happen?   Most profoundly, just like Jesus did, we surrender to the will of the Father and we fulfill our magnificence by becoming the creature that needs to be saved.  We are at our best when we humbly walk with the Lord.  When we can allow the glory of God to transform us, we remember that we are dust and unto dust we shall return.   When we allow the glory of God to enter in, we realize we are to get others to heaven and into a relationship with God by being forgiving, merciful and joy-filled.   This sense of purpose for our lives is an ongoing question, yet God makes it simple.   Our lives were brought into this world to give glory to the Creator, His only begotten Son and the movement of the Holy Spirit.  Glorifying God is acceptance of the movement of God which at times puts us in awkward situations, never abandons us, and seeks what is eternal.   Paul would write, there are only three things that remain, faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.   May the glory of God within us lead others to what is perfectly holy and to the things that remain.

It is my hope that you are allowed the luxury of time to know God and to allow His glory to enter into you and lead others to Him.

Reverend  John J. Ouper