Fr Antonio Pineda
he readings for the fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time tell of dramatic encounters with God experienced individually by Isaiah, Paul, and Peter. Isaiah “saw the Lord” in the Temple. Paul was on his way to arrest Christians when Jesus “appeared to me”. And Peter recognised the holiness of God in a miraculous catch of fish that he hauled in at Jesus’ word. All three realised that they were in the presence of the all-holy God, and each was cut to the heart.
When we are in the Lord’s presence, all masks fall off and we see ourselves in a genuine and profound way. We are a mixture of good and bad, but God is completely good, faithful, and pure. In the presence of such purity, all of our illusions of self-righteousness are shattered. Isaiah cried out, “Woe is me! . . . I am a man of unclean lips!”. Paul called himself “not fit to be called an apostle”. Peter pleaded, “Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man”. Like these men, when we realise how holy God is, we can’t help but see our unworthiness.
Most of us don’t have dramatic experiences like those described in this Sunday’s readings and it can be easy to lose sight of God’s holy presence in the busyness of the day. But God’s holiness should never be forgotten, and it should fill us with reverence and awe. God can make us see ourselves clearer any time: when we are praying, like Isaiah, or during our work, like Peter. He can even reveal himself when we resolve to do evil like Paul. When He does, we can either be grateful for His mercy or reject the grace He is offering us.
Every Sunday we pray, just before Holy Communion, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” This Sunday, as we stand before our all-holy God who loves us, let’s speak those words with humble hearts. Let’s turn away from our sins and receive his forgiveness.