Jesus Comes Down

Wednesday here at the university marks the midway point of the week, so the monastery offers Student Mass for anyone in need of some typical "Jesus time" or just in need of time to get away from the normal student life hustle and bustle. Today it was different, it was a beautiful day from start to finish, fresh and murky in the morning, then warm and humid in the afternoon. Towards the evening, the rain clouds start to roll in, an by the time we knew it, it was raining an hour before our normal student mass. Then 20 minutes before it was thundering, and lightning literally every 20 seconds. So I get dressed and ran down to the Abbey Church. As we were having mass, I remember thinking of God and how he is so powerful and almighty. During the consecration, as the priest raised the host, a thunder in the distant struck, and then it moved to be this soft, gentle sound all the way until the host was lowered. As the priest did the same for the cup, it was again, this soft and gentle thunder that struck, the lights dimmed in the church and then lightning rumbled until the cup was lowered. As the priest bowed behind the alter, tears came from my eyes and I knew, that Christ who is so big, so strong, almighty, and powerful still yet makes himself lower than our own humanity to be consumed to us, whom he loves. It's a very Christological view, that God accepts and respects our humanity enough that he would come down for us, and take on this humanity. I was in mass, thinking of all of this. I was Eucharistic Minister for mass and I remember it being so silent, and so quiet that I heard no thunder or lightning for the entire communion. It was like Christ had made himself not like us, but lower than us to be consumed by us. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced in my life. It helped me realized that no matter how big and strong God is, he still has the power to make himself like us no matter what. He has done it before, he can do it again. I think we have this notion in our heads to be fearful of him. When we fear God it ain't a bad thing, when we hear in the bible for us to 'Fear the Lord' that means for us to be afraid of being separated from God. In that manifestation God comes down to us, to be united with us, and forever with us.