Quotes about Presence

God, I'm not satisfied. I cannot live ankle-, knee-, or waist-deep. I must be completely immersed in Your presence. Lord, here I am. Immerse me. I do not want to keep from drowning. I want to drown in Your love. I want to know what it is to be immersed and undone. I want to know what it is to be out of control and for You to be totally and completely in control. Lord, come like a rushing river. I invite You to sweep me away to deeper places.

Be a presence carrier rather than a burden bearer.

Deep, solemn optimism, it seems to me, should spring from this firm belief in the presence of God in the individual; not a remote, unapproachable governor of the universe, but a God who is very near every one of us, who is present not only in earth, sea and sky, but also in every pure and noble impulse of our hearts, "the source and centre of all minds

I spent years studying the teachings of Patanjali, and he reminded us several thousand years ago that when we are steadfast - which means that we never slip in our abstention of thoughts of harm directed toward others - then all living creatures cease to feel enmity in our presence.

Catechesis, preaching, and passing on the faith must not only be about educating the members of our communities in the content of our tradition. This is important, but it must equally be about developing their spiritual sensitivity to the ways God manifests His presence and action in the world.

I have all the time in the world. I am in touch with the timeless. I am surrounded by infinity. When I think like that, it doesn't mean I'm going to miss my train, it just means that I'm not thinking about it right now because I'm speaking to you.

The gods, if so minded, might mingle with men, so as to see and be seen, hear and be heard.

And he departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here.

It is not by change of place that we can come nearer to Him who is in every place, but by the cultivation of pure desires and virtuous habits.

He no more wished to speak alone than He wished to exist alone, since He says: Behold, I am with you all days, unto the consummation of the world (Matt. 28:20). If He is with us, then He speaks in us, He speaks of us, and He speaks through us; and we too speak in Him.

What we are looking for is what is looking.

Every day He humbles Himself just as He did when from from His heavenly throne into the Virgin's womb; every day He comes to us and lets us see Him in lowliness, when He descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar.