Joyful encounter

Gospel: Mt 9:14-15

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021624.cfm

When I was a child, I was told that heaven was where we would worship God for eternity. In heaven, we’d sing hymnals all day and keep telling God how awesome and amazing he was. It was pretty off-putting. I voiced my concern, and at times, I was told, “Yes, it’s all that, but you’re going to like it because everyone is going to get along there will be no suffering.” To be honest, it didn’t seem like the best trade-off. If you praise God for eternity, you won’t suffer. It was very disconnecting, and to think it was for all eternity! It didn’t seem like something I wanted to sign up for.

Then, we read scripture like today and read more about what Jesus said. Being with God is to be a celebration. It’s like spending your time with your closest friends. It is experiencing joy like at a perfect wedding banquet. An encounter with God is one of joy. We fast in recognition of our separation from God or to help us return to our union after putting something above God. To experience God is an experience of joy. God is with us when we suffer, when things are mediocre, and when we are happy.

While Lent is a season for fasting, it is also a season to get more deeply connected to God. Allow yourself to experience joy.