For the past year, every morning I have been sending a short audio reflection on the daily Mass readings to my contacts, accompanied by some practical suggestions for how to embody the Gospel in everyday life. This new way of evangelization has helped me to pray better and to go deeper into knowledge of Holy Scripture. While preparing those reflections I was surprised by the realization that the very first question that the Apostles ask Jesus is: “Master, where do you live?”, which is also the very first question that God addressed to mankind in the book of Genesis “Adam, where are you?”; and I was even more surprised because He asked it after man had sinned and had hidden himself out of fear of God.
“Adam, where are you?” God knows where Adam is. Why, then, does He ask this question?
The questions that God asks are at the service of man himself: only in answering these questions does man become aware of himself and give meaning to his life.
Where are you? Today, you are called give an answer: Tiziana, where are you? You have already lived for 53 years; where did they get you? At what point of your journey are you? Where are you going?
If God wants to know where you are, it is only because He wants to tell you that He is looking for you or, rather, that He wants you to seek Him. He is in love with you and therefore He misses you, the relationship with you. It does not matter to Him what you did, He is not asking for a record of your past, but is inviting you to meet Him, to talk with Him, to talk heart to heart. He wants intimacy with you.
We often imagine that, not having a spotless past, we are not worthy of a relationship with God. But it is not true, as evidenced by the question “Adam, where are you”, pronounced just after sin, just after man distanced himself from God.
God wants us to understand that even if we sin, we always remain His children. We do not lose our dignity, we are always made for relationship with Him. If I see God as a judge, automatically I see myself as condemned; but, if I see God as a father, automatically I see myself as a daughter.
The purpose of all of revelation is the unfolding of this truth: God is our father and we are His children forever.
Now, stop and ask yourself where you are. If you do not know the answer to this question, you do not even know how to go on. As a matter of fact, you cannot even set your GPS if you do not know your starting point, even if you know the destination!
God wants to remind you today that you are his beloved, that you are dear to Him.
Perhaps you are still skeptical… Don’t worry… Do not hesitate to answer. Tell Him with all your heart: “Lord you know better than me where I am… I want to continue my journey with you forever… I do not want to depart from you, not even for a moment.” Immediately you will feel these beautiful and consoling words resonate within you:
“Neither in front of you nor behind you do you see me, for I am by your side, without pushing or pulling you, in the place where you can rest when you lose your balance. I am at your side to whisper in your ear that I love you, that I do not lose sight of you even when you walk away. I am next to you to not obscure the light, to not block the way you want to go. I want to encourage you. You do not need to stretch out your hand to take mine because I never let yours go and I do not need to reach out for your hand because it has always been in mine. Have faith. I love you. – Jesus”
Sr. Tiziana Mazzei
