The Love of Appearing / 25.08.2002
When we see Mary’s blessings, her silence and humility, we know that we are nothing if we loved to “appear”. God does not make his beloved ones appear in this world, but in the hearts that love them. Some people are proud of their wealth and like to show it in front of others to astonish them. Others like to show their beauty to make people amazed by it. Some show their intelligence to charm people. So we find a group that considers its wealth as an important thing, a second group that considers its beauty (body) an important thing, and a third one that thinks that about its brilliance.
These are not hearts full of divine presence. People might see your quality, but your quality doesn’t belong to you, so do not feel proud about it. Only God could reveal your virtues so that he is glorified through you. A good person does not own his goodness. It is a pledge given from God.
These three groups that are proud of what they own (money, beauty, education) don’t deeply believe in God. “Give glory to God”. The bible says this to warn us from worthless glory. When the bible uses this word, as if he is saying that this is not glory; this will not be destroyed in you unless you recognized the glory of the crucified. When the Lord said: “O Father, glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was”, he meant the glory of the cross. Also we see: “Now the Son of Man is glorified (on the cross), and God is glorified in him”. The important thing was the power of the Father to appear through the death of his son, through the love given for the world. For if you accepted your pain and endured, being attached to Jesus, his magnificence will descend on you. “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades… But the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40: 6-8).
If all flesh was grass, then all what this flesh inside us own (money, intelligence…) is also grass. We must disappear in order for God’s beauty to pass into us, and this is not possible unless we considered ourselves null. This way we shall enter into the Marian mystery. The Virgin said about her Lord: “He has regarded the lowly state of his maidservant”, therefore God raised her and made her “more honorable than the cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim”. When Mary was on earth, she used to hide a lot and nobody used to look at her; and when God raised her to him we started to look at her “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet”.
Yes, you cannot hide your money, but do not brag about it or tempt people with it; and runaway from splendor because this makes you “appear”. The beautiful woman must not wear makeup in a way that tempts people, and let the ugly know that she might be more beautiful in God’s eyes. And let the one with lots of intelligence use his brain to serve others, and he shall not show his knowledge except when it’s necessary, i.e. when service is required. You can reach humility when you feel that all that you own is neither from you nor for you. Also, when you recognize that only a part of your knowledge (education) is from you but it doesn’t belong to you and that your role is just to express it. People might like what they see in you; but if you hide behind your good qualities you know that these will cause people to glorify God, so you become happy.
If you knew that you’re talented, thank God. This is allowed, but do not make anyone thank you; they are only allowed to thank God for what he gave you. This way, they won’t be limited in you. If you made someone stop and look at you, you would be imprisoning him in you or in what you have. On the contrary, if you were humble you would be directing him to the Father who gives “every good and perfect gift”, and you would be meeting him in God. This meeting is the church of the sons of heavens who are still alive on earth.
Fight desperately to attract people to Christ’s face, so that his light would be drawn on their faces. Your aim is for all humans to be illumined with Lord’s shine. You are not in the place of God; you can only become his face once you hide yours. You destroy their faith if you attracted them to you, because faith is to dwell in God. They have the right to be comfortable with you only if you were coming from above; then, this world will become a heaven.
Translated by Mark Najjar
Original Text: “حب الظهور” – 25.08.2002
Continue reading
