Many people have asked me, “Father, how can I feel God’s presence?” It’s a question that rises from a deep hunger of the heart. We believe in God, yet at times He can seem distant or silent. But faith reminds us that God is never far away. The challenge is not that He hides from us—but that our hearts often grow too noisy to notice Him.
God’s presence is not limited to mystical experiences or dramatic signs. Scripture says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). In the quiet, when we slow down enough to listen, His presence begins to unfold like light at dawn. We experience Him when we pray with honesty, when we read His Word with an open heart, or when we sit in silence before the Blessed Sacrament. These are not rituals to earn His presence—they are invitations to recognize the One who is already there.
We also encounter God through love. When you forgive, when you show kindness, when you comfort someone in pain—God’s Spirit moves through you. As Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). The more we love, the more our eyes are opened to His nearness.
And yes, there are times when we do not feel His presence at all. Those are often the holiest times—when faith, not emotion, keeps us steady. Like Mary and the saints, we learn to trust that even in darkness, God is near. His silence does not mean His absence. It is often His way of deepening our faith and preparing our hearts for greater light.
When we begin to live each day with quiet awareness—seeing His hand in a sunrise, His mercy in a friend’s forgiveness, His strength in our weakness—we realize that we have never truly been alone.
May we learn to listen for God not only in the extraordinary, but in the ordinary moments of our lives. His presence surrounds us like the air we breathe—gentle, constant, and full of love.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
