The Presence of God
How can I come to know and to live in the presence of God? The Irish Dominican Father Anselm Moynihan, O.P. once authored a short but compelling book to answer the question. In his spiritual classic, The Presence of God, Fr. Moynihan presents the profound teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas on the various ways in which God is present and active in our world and in our lives. God is present to the whole world as the loving Creator of all. God sees all, God rules all, God holds all creatures in being at all times.
Love is in control of the universe. But in the souls of those who live in God’s grace, God is present in a special and still more profound way. In the inner depths of the faithful soul, God is present as Someone, an indwelling Guest, a loving Friend. God is within, and he is available for knowing and loving. To have the Holy Trinity dwelling within one’s very soul is at the heart of what it means to live in God’s sanctifying grace. A baptized faithful person is, in a way, like a Tabernacle.
After the Second World War, Fr. Moynihan wrote this book because he had become convinced that people around us are losing the awareness of how present and active God is. The short book quickly became popular because the author both explains deep theological mysteries in simple terms and offers practical steps on how to live and grow in a daily awareness of the Holy Trinity dwelling within one’s soul. The book teaches how turning toward God within our hearts, making acts of faith in the Indwelling One, and welcoming his inward action allows one to be present to the Trinity who is present to us who believe. By learning to do such things frequently one learns to abide in the presence of God continually.
The book should be of particular interest to members of our Confraternity, and I strongly recommend it. Fr. Moynihan presents the profound teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas who is our patron. Furthermore, for people who are striving to grow in chastity, it is very important to become familiar with the spiritual joys and spiritual delights that far surpass the deceptive and disappointing pleasures of sexual sin. These spiritual joys and spiritual delights are the fruit of entering into contemplative intimacy with the Trinity of Love who is present to us in secret places of our own soul. Only the holy are happy.
The Angelic Warfare Confraternity is pleased to announce that our friends at New Hope Publications in New Hope Kentucky have reprinted this classic book for distribution throughout North America. For Confraternity members in the UK and Europe, the same book is available through St. Martin’s Apostolate. The book can be ordered by clicking on any of the links above. May the Lord bless all of you, and let us remember one another in our daily Confraternity prayers!
