Living Mysteriously

Mysterious: Adj. 1. Of an obscure nature.
2. Having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding.

A lot of different things take up space in our minds. Some of it is important, "do I need to call the police?" Some is trivial, "what should I watch on television tonight?" Every phone call, and every email; every passing notion while driving, riding, or just thinking; that is the stuff from which we construct reality. There is nothing wrong with that, it's just the way things are with us.

Another reality also exists beneath our construction of reality. This is the reality of God. Trinity is. We might or might not even be aware of God's presence, but that does not change the reality of his presence. For the Christian this is assumed to be an understood reality. Perhaps, though, too often it is not. Most Nazi's were baptized Christians. A religion is nothing if it does not reflect each person's inner experience. That experience has to be strong enough to form a Church. As a Christian, I, you, the whole lot of us, are to live in the reality of God given to us by Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit that brings it from the heart of the Trinity, to us!

How is it then that we 'profess with our mouths' things that we fail to do each and every day? Simply by forgetting. Certainly your attention during working hours should be upon your work, to suggest otherwise is ludicrous. The question really is, are you working as a person who knows that their work is done before almighty God?
The true work of our lives as Christians is to open our awareness of God's presence in our phone calls, emails, encounters at the Stop N Shop: the list is endless. In that way we might approach the honor of bringing the presence of Christ into every encounter.
That is how we might participate in living mysteriously. Another way, and very pleasant, are those times that good old fashion "consolation" comes. And to quote from St. Ignatius:

I call it consolation when some interior movement in the soul is caused, through which the soul comes to be inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord . . .

That is a wonderful piece of writing, very descriptive, but it does make the experience sound like a kind of holiness most often associated with hifalutin holy cards. Nothing could be further from the truth. Simple awe at the beauty of the dawn can be transformed into a consolation. We you experience awe, sorrow, or even joy, you are in the moment of consolation.

O Lord, we sin in forgetting your mysterious presence among us. We confess the faith of Christ crucified, and bow down before you in thanksgiving. The terror of your mighty storms tearing the skies and cracking open the trees; the silent miracle of dew evaporating upon the grass; by failing to see you there, O Holy God, we fail in thanksgiving. Grant us, Lord, your grace to amend our foolish ways, and open our eyes to the miracle of the world around us. You shine out at us from every face, God in glory, even from those the hardest to love. Bring us all to your everlasting presence in heaven.