Encounters

Details: 13 December 2013

Our last reflection highlighted the importance of regularly extending an invitation to Jesus to be more intimately a part of our lives. If sincere, it is an invitation that provokes only one possible response: Yes, of course! What we essentially are requesting is an encounter with the living God.
The dictionary defines a human encounter in terms of meeting somebody unexpectedly or confronting somebody with hostility or aggression. The Catholic Church uses the term to describe a meeting between persons that is very positive and typically intentional. For us, the term usually suggests a certain level of intimacy in the meeting that transcends physical proximity. Indeed it implies an exchange of intangibles that can stimulate, rouse or even transform a person’s heart, mind and soul.
Sadly, encounters of this sort between persons are becoming less frequent as modern technological modes of communication become more prominent, or even invasive, in our everyday lives. It was humorous when the famous Sergeant Joe Friday of Dragnet would cut short a woman sharing intimate details of her life with his signature line, “Just the facts, ma’am.” Nowadays, communication with another is too often relegated to “just the facts”, denying conversations of their potential of developing into encounters. An authentic encounter can only occur when a person shares his or her very self with another. It is so much more than a mere exchange of words.
When Jesus walked the streets of Nazareth, Cana, Jericho or Jerusalem, seldom (if ever) did he encounter people in the sense of meeting them unexpectedly, and never did he do so with hostility or aggression. Either people were seeking out Jesus, or He was in search of them. There were and are no chance encounters with God. They are deliberate and grace-filled opportunities for God’s children to have their hearts, minds and souls changed for the better by coming into close personal contact with the Lord of Life. We are called to get to know Jesus at a very intimate level and He wants to touch us at the core of our being. He wishes ultimately to “encounter” each of us, even daily.
Some very powerful retreat experiences, such as Teens Encounter Christ, Engaged Encounter and Marriage Encounter, all focus on creating an environment in which we are not only open to the possibility of encountering Christ; we deeply desire such a meeting with Him. And that desire often is expressed through a heartfelt confession of our sins, adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and a worthy reception of Holy Communion. The resultant bond with the Lord opens up the potential for greater intimacy with others at all levels: companionship friendship, engagement and marriage. We can see the logic, then, of providing encounter weekends to stimulate such growth between individuals and God: it serves to strengthen and enrich human relationships as well.
Allow the latter part of the Advent season to be a joy-filled anticipation of a new or renewed encounter with the Christ-child. May it deepen our love for Him and strengthen our love for others whom we should hope to “encounter” in more authentic ways in the future. Perhaps we might also deliberately make the coming Christmas season much more than simply a time when we have increased contact with family and friends. Let’s make this celebratory time a veritable feast of real encounters with all whom we hope to share the glories of heaven some day. And may our many Sacramental encounters with Jesus in Confession and Communion be the stimulus for such feasting.