WE HAVE SEEN YOUR GLORY, OH LORD!

Who has seen the Glory of the Lord? But what does Glory mean? In Hebrew, Kavod, the genesis of Glory, means honor, respect, or dignity; but it also means “heavy,” implying that honor and dignity have significant weight or importance, and thus, the Glory of the Lord is something of great weight, importance and value. Years ago, I was inspired and wrote the lyrics to a song called “We Have Seen Your Glory, oh Lord,” and asked Rafael Moreno to create the music and chant.

Seeing the Glory of the Lord is one of my greatest spiritual experiences. An experience capable of producing a change in life, carrying a powerful and significant message from God. Many characters in the Old Testament heard the voice of the Lord: Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and others, including prophets such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel. These experiences were forever recorded in history thanks to the gift of Holy Scripture. Personally, the study of the Bible allowed me to see the Glory of the Lord. In other words, I experienced something very profound, very powerful, something unique that I had not discovered until that moment in my life. Hence, as a Catholic, I am passionate about telling everyone about the importance of reading and understanding the Holy Scriptures better, because it is the Voice of the Lord speaking to our hearts that results in a wonderful transformation within us; from my own experience, I can say that thereafter, I was able to see His Glory. My metanoia, my conversion, took place when I encountered Jesus in the Word and began a new life in Him. And I testify today that it was the best decision I could have made to accept the Lord as my personal Savior. I continue and will continue to share my testimony, for otherwise the warning in Scripture is clear, so that the words the Lord said to the Pharisees, may not come true with respect to me, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would cry out” (Luke 19:40).

In the book of Exodus, we learn that as Moses was developing his daily work of shepherding the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro deep into the desert, “the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush; Moses, noticing that the bush was burning but was not being consumed said, “I will go over and see this strange sight, why the bush is not consumed”. When the Lord saw that Moses was coming to look, He called him from the bush, “Moses, Moses. He answered, “here I am.” The Lord said, “do not come near; take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is Holy ground” and added, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob”. Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said to him, “I have seen the oppression of my people in Egypt, I have heard their groaning against their oppressors and I have noticed their sufferings. I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, to bring them out of this land to a fertile and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Ex 3:2-8a)

And thus, Moses saw the Glory of the Lord, and we understand that when we live a miraculous experience, like birth, we are in the presence of the Glory of the Lord and are truly surprised. Understanding such experience, the meaning of this manifestation, is difficult. Moses could not stop looking at the burning bush, because a bush catches fire and is consumed in seconds, but this bush continued to burn. Let us not forget that the Holy Spirit descended as fire on Pentecost! Today, the fire of the Holy Spirit is burning, and those who experience it have their lives transformed by the power that the Glory of the Lord as He infuses them with His presence. The Father’s manifestation to Moses has a purpose today; the Lord sees the suffering of His people, of us His children, and reveals Himself to give us a plan to be delivered from our suffering. The Lord made a promise to them then and to us today to enter into a new and abundant land flowing with milk and honey. What a great promise, if you believe!

So, every time you experience something unique, something supernatural where the Holy Spirit is present, you are most likely in the presence of the Lord’s Glory, and such a manifestation of the Lord has a purpose in your life. The Lord wants the best for you and your family. He wants to see you happy, living with Hope and trusting He will bring us Victory, just as He did for the people of Israel, who left the known and one day arrived in their Promised Land. However, many did not get there because they did not believe in what the Lord had promised them through Moses. Let us remember that what the Lord promises He always fulfills in His time. I have witnessed this, I have seen thousands of my brothers and sisters experience the Glory of the Lord manifesting Himself in their lives through a sermon, an event, a TV or radio show, or through other means. When we receive the Sacraments, we experience the Glory of the Lord, for there is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit who, even though we cannot see or feel anything, is working within the Power and Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ’s sanctifying Grace.

When the angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, she was able to see the Glory of the Lord, like Moses, she found it difficult to understand how this plan of Salvation would come about in her time. When she went to help her cousin Elizabeth, the Holy Spirit manifested to her that day, and she was able to see the Glory of the Lord. So, she said, “my soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on the lowliness of His servant, and from now on all generations will call me blessed…” (cf. Luke 1:46-48).

You and I can see the Glory of the Lord if we open our hearts, believe in His Promises and listen to His Voice; He can see how we are today. If He sees that we are suffering, He seeks us out to offer us a Promised Land. The youngest apostle, Saint John, shows us in a unique way the manifestation of the Lord’s Glory in the first words of his Gospel, “…He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him but to those who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become Children of God; they were born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen His Glory, Glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of Grace and Truth.” (St. John 1:11-14)

In the coming days, we will have a series of events (Metanoias) where you can contemplate the Glory of the Lord. We are making an extraordinary effort to reach more and more places and offer this experience, the manifestation of the Spirit, so that more people can transform their lives; connect, learn, transform yourself and the world. Please pray for those attending these events and if you know of any friends or family in an area where a Metanoia will take place, please let them know not to miss it for anything in the world. The first event is Metanoia Guadalajara on September 6, and the next day, Sunday, September 7, there will be Metanoia Mexico City for those in that area of the country. Then, as we do every year, we will have Metanoia for Women and the CDJ (Youth Congress) in Chicago on September 27 and 28. Don’t hesitate, come and participate. God has something great in store for you.

All of these events are opportunities to encounter the Lord, and that is why I continue to invite you to experience the Glory of the Lord through Consecration to His Son Jesus Christ in the I Am 73 Project. It is a profound and transformative experience. Scan the QR code and download the app, create an account and register for the next consecration starting on October 21st. The app is available in Mexico and the US. If you are in another country, feel free to contact us at (773) 777-7773. You can also write to the email address: info@iamthe73rd.com. One of our brothers and sisters will assist you and guide you on this path of discipleship.

Thank you, Sowers, and may our good God bless you and sustain you on your journey, guided by the life-giving Spirit.

Your friend and servant,