As I continue my faith journey, at times I struggle to know the Lord. I often think how much easier it would have been to know Jesus had I been in his physical presence; to have seen him, to have talked with him. Yet, even those who were with Jesus, day in and day out, had a difficult time knowing him. Remember when Jesus asked Philip, “Have I been with you all this time, and yet you still don’t know who I am?” (John 14:89). Wow…if it was hard for them…what chance do I have?
From the beginning of creation, God has desired a relationship with us. We are blessed that we have a God who never gives up on us and who pursues us, giving us every chance to come to know Him. Even now many millennia since Jesus walked the earth, we have many ways to come to know the Lord.
We can know the Lord in Scripture. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
We can know the Lord through the Sacraments. “The Sacraments are the masterworks of God in the new and everlasting covenant” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1116).
We can know God by the example of others. “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do” (Philippians 3:17).
We can know the Lord in the circumstances of life. “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20).
“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” – 2 Peter 3:18
