ProLIS Day 2. The Power of God’s Presence

Throughout the ProLIS youth formation camp, Bishop Bryan Bayda, Chairman of the Patriarchal Commission for Youth of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy each day. These liturgies became a unique spiritual experience for the participants, while the bishop's homilies invited young people to reflect more deeply on faith, freedom, vocation, and living the Gospel in everyday life.

We are pleased to share Bishop Bryan Bayda's homilies that accompanied our young people throughout the camp.

 ― I stole cookies from the cookie jar! Did you do something like that when you were a kid?

I remember Mom warning me not to ruin my supper, and I obeyed her... until she left the kitchen. Why did it seem that temptation increased greatly when she left the kitchen? Presence.

Temptation is the same for adults. I mean, who would speed if a police cruiser was right behind them on a highway? But so often, drivers are tempted to speed and after looking around for signs of police (thinking the “coast is clear”), they often chance speeding up. Presence.

On the other hand, Mom was nursing nights and slept during the day while we were at school. So, I remember coming home from elementary school for lunch. I used to peek into her bedroom, and I was totally comforted knowing she was home sound asleep. Then I helped myself to some soup and sandwiches in the kitchen. What was important? Presence.

Similarly, if you are in a car accident, you want the police around. Presence.

At times we ignore God’s presence when we are tempted. We are selfish and weak, and we sin. But if we could be 100% aware of God’s presence in our lives, how would we live differently? That would be absolutely, fundamentally, radically profound! How would my choices change if I knew Christ was standing right next to me? (The fact is He is right next to me, living in me, surrounding me).

I mean, if we can change how we think and act when we are in the presence of others or in God’s presence, why does this demand so much more effort when we think we are alone (cause basically we are never alone)? To think we are alone is a lie. God didn’t leave paradise, but Adam and Eve thought He left when they were tempted and then they sinned.

When God says, “I Am”, that means He is everywhere. This is important to understand Christ’s Resurrection.

Psalms 139:7-12 (ESV) Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 

We taste of the Resurrection when we experience and welcome the presence of God. To welcome God’s presence is everlasting life. To reject His presence is death and we taste hell. Resurrection from death is not merely to be in the presence of God but to welcome it, to call upon His unconditional mercy and love and forgiveness for rejecting His presence (sin), to accept Jesus who voluntarily endured His passion and death and finally Resurrected from the dead. ALONENESS

Perhaps this is why the reflection on how Jesus has a deep thirst for our love has such a powerful impact on me when I hear the truth spoken with those words again and again. It is about presence. Being aware of the presence of Jesus, next to me, in my thoughts and in my heart is already a taste of heaven.

It was offered to the rich young man. Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” Mt 19:21

I think this is what the Samaritan woman at the well experienced. I think this is what the people walking on the road to Emmaus experienced. I think this what the Mother of God experienced on an entirely different level than us since She was sinless. Welcoming the presence of God transforms us.

This is what I refer to when I speak about an encounter with Jesus Christ. This is not merely knowing about God in your head in a way that you could explain it to someone else.

What a difference there is between explaining what it's like to be in love and actually being in love with someone and all that happens in your mind and heart and body. For the Theotokos who is sinless, this encounter transformed Her womb into Paradise. We are sinful yet through repentance and receiving communion, we are transformed by His true presence in the Eucharist, which means His divine blood is flowing in our veins.