The Fullness of Life
God-centered Life: Knowing God (Part II)
Aside from faith and reason, there is still another way of knowing God, and this is through the intuition of the human heart. We all have within us a deep-seated intuition for what is good and true and beautiful. Oftentimes the unchecked cravings after ephemeral goods created by a consumeristic society can disorient or dull this inborn faculty. But, if we only know how to pause and allow ourselves some moments of silent self-examination and reflection, we soon discover that this instinct, or intuition, remains intact.
Along with this intuitive faculty there also is a corresponding deep-seated yearning in the human heart to be enthralled by whatever is good and holy, true and honest, lovely and beautiful. And, as we listen intently to what our heart is trying to decode for us, we discover that it is trying to tell us that the God who is worhty to be worshipped and adored must be supremely good and holy; perfectly true and honest; infinitely lovely and beautiful. These are but a few of the divine attributes of the God whose perfections are infinite.
Considering the infinite perfections and beauty of God, we are reminded of what St. Bernadette Soubirous said about the Blessed Virgin Mary who appeared to her in 1858 at the cave of Massabielle near Lourdes in France, "My Lady is beautiful; beautiful without compare. So beautiful that once you have seen her, you would wish to die so as to see her again!" If this can be said about Mary, who is a mere creature like us, how infinitely much more beautiful is God!
I'd like to conclude this with a passage from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature, namely, His eternal power and diety, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; for although they knew God they did not honor Him as God or gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened." (Rom. 1:18-21)