|
With Open Arms
2/9/2005
In the San Damiano Crucifix on this page, and in all other
crucifixes, Jesus is on the Cross with His arms wide open, beckoning us to
follow Him. If you read the Gospel and Epistles of John, you will come to
understand, that God loves us just as much as He loves His Son, Jesus. And
so, we must be Jesus to all the other people we meet. Jesus said..., "You
shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being,
with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as
yourself." [Luke 10:27]
He
also said:
"In a
little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I
live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes
them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my
Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."
[John 14:19-21]
Jesus is waiting
for us on the Cross... whether or not we will go to meet Him. He is not
begging for us to come, but if we are seeking help and tenderness, Jesus is
always there for us. He will welcome us with open arms, and he will do this
for all of us. Who are "all of us?" No, all of us are not just the circle of
friends around you and me. All of us are not just our family members or the
people at work, or tennis, or baseball or golf, or the opera, or whatever...
All of us, literally, means all the inhabitants of the earth. Jesus
does not differentiate between anyone... He does not worry about our
religion, or lack thereof... He does not criticize us for the way we look or
act. Even if our lifestyle offends Him, He will still love us just as much
as He loves His Father. Of course, this invokes the question, "Then why
doesn't the Catholic Church accept anyone in their midst, even sinners? Well
we're all sinners. The only one who is not a sinner is Jesus Christ, and his
Mother, Mary (The Immaculate Conception). But those who are living in an
atmosphere of sin, we hope that you will seek God out in prayer and by
asking forgiveness. But He still loves you!!!
So this new season of Lent which just began today, Ash Wednesday,
can be a starting
point for you. It can be the beginning of a new life, a life closer to God's
Holy Will. This is, of course, a long process, but in any new adventure, you
learn more every day that you practice... practice makes perfect... so we
are looking here for a daily conversion, and the Lenten Season is a good
time to begin with that.
May God bless you in all that you do for Him.
Fred Schaeffer, SFO
|
