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In the Gospel of St John, we hear Jesus say to the Jews: "Before Abraham was,....I AM."
These words that Jesus attributed to himself "I AM" send us back to Exodus in the Old Testament, where Moses is speaking to God through the burning bush. Moses protests, "What shall I tell the people of Israel is the name of their God who is now sending me to them ?"
God replies, "Tell them that JAHWEH ( I AM ) is my name."
This is the God who is present........
I remember one writer commenting about this name, saying, "God did not say that his name is `I am who I was`........because he is not the God of the past. Neither did He say, `I am who I shall be`.......because God is not the God of the future.
No....God is in the present. He is present in the very circumstances that you are living in right now. In the situation you are going through at this particular moment.
God is Now. You cannot find him in the worries about your past.....they are gone.......And you will not find him in your anxieties about the future.........as yet, they are only fantasies, hypothetical.
No, God is to be found in the present moment that you are living in at this point in time.
And this is great news for all of us. He is with us. In your problem...?.....Yes ! In your sickness..?....Yes ! In your troubles..?.....Yes ! He is present, he is with you. As Jesus declares to his apostles after his resurrection: "Do not be afraid. I AM !"
Jesus has conquered Death ! He is with you in the Death that pervades your life, in whatever form it may take. And he will triumph over your Death as well.
"DO NOT BE AFRAID !"
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