I learned something really amazing today. When people greet each other by putting their hands together as if in prayer and then bowing to each other, they are recognizing the deity within. I have seen this greeting so many times in my life, but I never understood it before today. It fits with what I have started to understand about myself and my brothers and sisters in Christ.
In the Catholic church, we have all these rituals, to remind us that we are in the house of God and that He is present. When we walk in, we dip our hands in Holy Water and make the sign of the cross. When we come before the altar, we genuflect as a sign of respect. There’s a candle burning next to the tabernacle to let us know that the consecrated host are inside and that they are the Body of Christ. Whenever I am in a church and I see these symbols of God, I remember to be even more respectful because I am in the presence of God. Yet I have come to realize that the light of God is within each of us. It makes sense that when I come into contact with one of my brothers or sisters in Christ, I should show the same respect. Because I am in the presence of the light of God.
Every night I pray that God’s peace would be in each of our hearts, but tonight I think I need to acknowledge that God’s light is in each of our hearts. It is a very difficult lesson to put into practice, but God’s light is within each of us, and I should make an effort to act accordingly.
My faith saved me. May God’s peace reside in all of our hearts.
