By Karen Sheehy

 

Untitled by Gerd Altmann via Pixabay. CC0 Creative Commons

 

Do you remember your first 3D movie? I do. It was 1982, the year the World’s Fair inhabited my home town of New Orleans. That summer, my family visited the state of the art movie theater in the replicated country of China. The exhibit promised a revolutionary, one-of-a-kind encounter with this far off and mysterious region of the world. Boy, did it deliver!

As the movie opened, we found ourselves looking down from Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak in the world. Confused, I asked my brother if he was seeing what I was seeing, a scene simultaneously visible but out of focus. He laughed, pulled out some crude cardboard glasses, and commented, “Let’s see if these will help.” That day, this new, multi-dimensional technology exploded into our lives and the lives of so many others.

Today, we encounter an ever-increasing interactive world, one which surpasses our wildest expectations. Virtual reality, 3D, and 4D, all are designed to draw us deeper into the ensuing experience. The greater the effect, the more we feel, sense and encounter each scene in a deeper and more profound manner. That day, my brother and I laughed, screamed, dodged, winced and gasped, as the wonders of China reached into our world. Filled with wonder and hope, the great distance between my family and the country of China suddenly seemed a tad bit smaller.

The same interactive experience awaits each of us as we encounter the living God in Sacred Scripture. Today’s first reading delivers God’s words of consolation to the exiled nation of Israel, a nation in great need of hope. Here, Isaiah speaks about a promised Messiah who will restore the land, provide nourishment, protect and shelter, comfort and lift the fallen (Isaiah 49:8-15). Now, put on your 3D glasses, your Christo-centric lenses, and search for the deeper meaning of these words. Discover their ultimate fulfillment in the incarnate Son of God. Jesus is our home, food, shelter, and comfort. He is our sacrificial gift of atonement.

Christ does not simply fulfill the Old Testament prophesies, He transforms and elevates their meaning. He not only sets captives free, He “raises the dead and gives life” (John 5:21). In today’s Gospel, Christ says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” (John 5:25). Christ is the way, the truth and the life. He is our “virtual” pathway to eternal life. Jesus is drawing you close, inviting you into the story of salvation, and promising you the gift of eternal life. How will you react? I say, put on your 3D spiritual glasses and dare to hope, to love, and experience the mysterious world of Christian discipleship. I promise, a life with Christ will surpass your wildest expectations, and ultimately decrease the space between our world and the next.   

About the Author:

WINE Writer Karen SheehyKaren Sheehy is a devout Catholic, wife and mother, motivational speaker, blogger and developer of spiritualsafariguide.com, your passport to a world of spiritual inspiration and understanding. To learn more about Karen Sheehy and her upcoming book entitled, The Healing Eyes of Mercy. A Journey Towards the Light of God’s Love, visit http://www.spiritualsafariguide.com