The human heart desires a total immersion in God’s love and light. Since Antiquity humanity has been seeking love through varied paths. Along these paths lingering questions remain in the hearts of many – How can I find love? Can I “wish” love into existence? Can I sit in meditation and manifest an experience of love? Is there a “secret” I need to know before I can experience love? Well, today’s readings reveal to us the key we need to open the door to love – we must walk like Jesus walked.
Walking like Jesus can seem a bit intimidating. Who can truly walk like him? After all, Jesus Christ is God himself. Jesus was perfect and sinless, while the rest of us are… well – not perfect and sinless. We sin and we fall short of perfection every day (at least I do). Given this, can mankind ever experience full union with Christ? Can we ever experience real love? Can we ever truly walk like Jesus?
Love and Light
The human heart yearns for God and it will not rest until it rests in God. In order to experience God’s rest we must walk in his light. Today’s first reading shows us how to walk in his light – we must love like Jesus loved. However, before we can truly love like this we must be brutally honest with ourselves about our capacity to love. It’s easy to lie to ourselves here. After all, we tend to throw around the phrase “I love you” rather easily today. Being brutally honest about our capacity to love calls us to look at our brothers who have hurt us.
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8: 12 (NABRE)
Good Catholics and Christians know we shouldn’t hate another human being. Rather, we are called to love our brothers – even (especially) the brothers who harm us. Jesus modeled perfect love throughout his earthly ministry. He continually saw humanity through his lens of love. Even when Jesus rebuked individuals it was out of love. Jesus walked around healing, loving, and pointing mankind towards the pathway into perfect love. The capstone of his love was revealed on the cross.
Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall. – 1 John 2: 9-10 (NABRE)
Forgiveness, Love and Light
On the cross Jesus revealed to us the power of forgiveness. Through forgiveness we create a space in our heart for love to grow. When we hold on to unforgiveness darkness enters into our heart. This is why Jesus told us to forgive seventy-seven times. We are called to forgive as long as it takes. Seventy-seventy doesn’t refer to an actual number, rather, it points to perfection. Sacred scripture frequently uses numbers as a means to reveal something deeper. Both seven and ten symbolize perfection or completeness. So when Jesus told us to forgive seventy-seven times he was telling us that we need to forgive until our hearts are healed and full of love towards our brother. And this brings me back to our original dilemma – who can do this?
Then Peter approaching asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. – Matthew 18: 21-22 (NABRE)
Inside of our hearts we feel all sorts of emotions. Sometimes it feels impossible to usher out negative emotions – let alone invite love in. And here is the key – it is impossible for us to usher out negative emotions on our own. We will fail every time – evidence of this is the state of the world. Everyone wants love and mankind spends a lot of energy seeking love. Yet the world still lacks in love.
It seems mankind tends to put the cart before the horse so to speak. We seek love before we seek the one who can truly reveal to us the path into love – Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ offers us a perpetual invitation into a love relationship with him. As our relationship with Christ deepens he will reveal to us how to walk in love and light. He will reveal this to all who seek him. However, we must take the steps necessary to create a space for him in our lives.
Praying Like Simeon
In today’s gospel we read about Simeon’s devotion to God. Simeon spent significant time with God in prayer over the years and “the Holy Spirit was upon him” as a result. One might imagine that Simeon anticipated a great powerful savior when God promised he would see him before his death. However, this is not what Simenon saw. Rather, Simeon saw the truth. While Simeon saw the light that is Jesus Christ, he also the pain, heartache, and division that would come with the new king’s salvation. Simeon also saw the sword that will pierce the heart of Mary.
The closer we come to our Triune God, the more clearly we see the truth of Christ’ sufferings. Simeon saw the wounds surrounding Jesus and we will too as we move closer to him. Some of those wounds are within our hearts. Others are within the hearts of the brothers who harm us – those we are called to love
Walking Like Jesus
And here is the key I saw in today’s reading. In order to experience real love we must move closer to Jesus Christ and this can only be done with his aid. We can only walk like Jesus with his help. We move closer to Jesus by forgiving and loving all of our brothers. Jesus knows this is hard for us, he knows our struggles and he will show us how to forgive and love all others. When we love others our eyes open to the wounds they carry. Their wounds, and our wounds, are the wounds of Christ. We are all a part of his body and when we follow Jesus’ lead of love and forgiveness we too become whole and healed – full of love and light.
Let’s start today by forgiving and loving those who harm us. Jesus revealed to us how to do this. We must pray for them. On my blog I have a post titled “What Forgiveness is (and what it is not)” If you struggle with forgiveness and you are seeking to grow in forgiveness I invite you to read this post: What Forgiveness Is (and what it is not).
Christmas blessings to all – see you next Friday! – Carolyn
Prayer Intentions
I believe prayer is the most powerful tool we can use to unite our hearts with the heart of God because prayer is communication with God. Like all relationships, communication stands at the foundation of the relationship. When we pray together as a community I believe our prayers become even more powerful. In light of this, if you have specific prayer intentions I would be honored to pray for you during my time at daily Mass and Eucharistic Adoration this upcoming week. Please either email me privately, or post your prayer intention here in the comments section so our Catholic Moment community can join in your petition.
Sacred Heart of Jesus – have mercy on us.
Father God – consume us.
Holy Spirit – enter into us.
Blessed Virgin Mary – pray for us.
