A moment of Opportunity It would be hard to find more beautiful pictures anywhere in the pages of the Bible that that described in the words of St John: “I stand at the door and I knock”. The image of Jesus standing alone and waiting at the door is poignant expression of his compassionate love. For he seems to place himself at my mercy in order to bring his mercy to me. Like a humble, patient beggar, he is content to remain outside until I am ready to open. He doesn’t compel me to respond nor does he try to force his way into my life. In his own gracious way, he chooses to respect my freedom and to leave the responsibility with me to say yes or no, to accept his offer of love or to reject it. His knock is light, his voice is gentle and his presence is always friendly. He calls me to himself: to be with him as a companion and to follow him as a disciple. He takes me as he finds me, and so he shows me who I am. He loves me as I am, and so he shows me what I can be. Even when his call is challenging, it is never harsh or menacing. It is always a moment of opportunity which bears a promise of life and an offer of love. It reaches into the depths of my being, echoing in the yearnings of my heart, resonating in my deepest needs and desires to love and to be loved, to understand and to be understood. Why, then, am I slow to respond? Why do I refuse to answer? Sometimes, I think, his call is not heard because my heart is too restless to listen. The sound of his voice is muted by the noise of distractions or by the persistent cries of worry and anxiety. Like the apostles in the Upper Room, I seek refuge behind a locked door, preferring the company of fear to the exposure of love. Perhaps, I need to remind myself that when Jesus stands at the door and knocks, he is coming to me as my Saviour and my friend. His love will cast out the fears that bind me. His hands will heal the wounds that weaken me. And his friendship will give me that peace of mind which I have often lacked and always longed for. Let me pray, then, that I may listen to his call and recognize his voice. Let me ask confidently for the wisdom to trust and for the courage to risk. NO HAND BUT YOURS “Who do you say I am?” Christ’s heartfelt plea to each of us is: “Do you know me?” When he was gathering his disciples around him, Christ called each one of them individually. He called them in different ways, but his call was always personal because he was inviting them to befriend him. In this way he built his Church Jesus as a Friend Somehow, the idea of a personal friendship with Christ is not getting through many people today. Relationships with people are founded on attraction more than on factual knowledge. It is through the heart that we first come to befriend a person. The language of the heart is a universal language which speaks of warmth, love, goodness, kindness, generosity, encouragement and compassion. When we are told that a person is “big hearted” or has “a heart of gold” we don’t need to hear any more - the heart says it all! Our grasp of the love which burns within the heart of Jesus is of course rather limited. We find it difficult at times to realize that he loves us and, perhaps, even more difficult to realize the magnitude – the height, depth, length and breadth – of his love. The greatest expression of his love is the Eucharist. This great sacrament is not just a symbol or a sign, it is Christ himself, saying: “Look, this is how much I love you”. The Badge of Love The one, who loves most, suffers most. “Suffering is the badge of those who love”. We need only look at Christ on the cross and his sorrowing Mother, to know this. Very often it is through the crosses and sufferings in our lives that we come to know Jesus. Many, who have tried every possible human source and failed, have later discovered the solace and comfort of his great compassion through walking side by side with him on the road to Calvary. The greatest “bonding” of human friendship takes place through the experience of shared suffering. Or, as St Augustine says, “We have to climb the tree of the cross to see Jesus”. The only way to have a friend, we are told, is to be one. In order to learn how to love as Jesus loves, we have to spend time with the “author” himself in prayer. “Apart from me you can do nothing”. Life comes to the branches from the stock of the vine. The growth of devotion to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament which is spreading throughout the country today is helping many people in their search for God. They are greatly helped by just sitting in his company, looking at the sign of his presence, and listening in that silence where heart speaks to heart. Place yourself in the arms and near the Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and then leave all to him. He will form you, he will open your eyes, and he will teach you what you must do. Door of life Blessed Pope John XXIII, known as “good Pope John” or “The Pope of Peace” because of his warm- hearted kindness, wrote: “How I love St Augustine’s description of the Scared Heart of Jesus – “The Door of life!” This lovely image follows the simple language of scriptures and avoids the rather exaggerated expressions which are sometimes used in the language of devotion. There is no excess or exaggeration in saying that the Heart of Jesus is the Door of Life. It is the door through which we must all seek to enter eternal life. Love is always focused on the other and wants to know more. Christ draws us through our hearts and invites us to search the treasures of the Bible in order to learn more about him, about his attitudes – how he loved ands related to people. No Hands but Yours Walking in friendship with Christ is a constant battle against our own selfishness, a continual dying to our own will in order to take on his. But it is also a wonderful adventure and challenge, which St Teresa of Avila describes so well in her lovely prayer: “Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours, no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which his love looks out to the world; yours are the feet with which he goes about doing good; yours are the hands with which he blesses people now”. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 09:31:37 +0000
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