THE SOURCES OF REVELATION
How does God speak with us in our daily lives?
Dr. Patricia Cooney Hathaway
I
n his book, The Holy Longing, Fr.
Richard Rolheiser tells a delightful
story about a four-year-old child who
wakes up in the middle of the night
frightened by a nightmare. She runs to
her parents’ bedroom for comfort. Her
mother, taking her by the hand, leads
her back to her bedroom reassuring her.
“You needn’t be afraid. You are not alone. God is with you.”
The child replies, “I know God is with me, but I need someone with me who has some skin!”
In essence, Father Rolheiser’s point is that this story gives us
the reason for the Incarnation. God takes on flesh, because, like
the little girl, we all need someone with us who has some skin!
Rolheiser claims that most of us probably think about the
Incarnation as a one-shot excursion by God into human history. But that is not true. He emphasizes that the Incarnation—God with us—continues to be present through Word,
sacrament, and us.
Let’s take a look at the various ways in which God continues
to be with us, inviting us into relationship, offering us companionship and guidance and challenging us to be men and
women for others in Jesus’ name.
Through the Word
The Word of God—the love of the Father, the saving ministry
of Jesus, and t