Jesus Smiling
Today’s Gospel, while beautiful and full of the richness that can only be found in our lord Jesus Christ, touches my heart leaving a heavy sadness when I look around at God’s children and the world. Jesus so deeply wants us to be one with him. How can we, God’s children who are created in his image not fully surrender to his love and live in the utter bliss that is our birth right as his children…
Jesus says: “I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” All God wants, has every wanted, is for us to be in a love relationship with him. To experience such profound love we must, of course, be free of the sin separates us from divine love. Not to worry! God became man so that we could have the freedom to share in this divine love! He came into earth as the man Jesus Christ, taking upon himself the sins of the world.
Jesus Christ was born, suffered and died exclusively so that mercy would prevail over justice and we would live in the beauty of his love not only in this world but the next. He offers us infinite paradise, yet much of the world lives in the thralls of sin. He offers us our wildest dreams, yet many hate and even despise him. He offers us respite, yet many say he is the blame. Sometimes I just can’t handle the thought that he, who offers bliss beyond what we could ever imagine, could be left yearning for us. I for one want nothing other than to run to him, bringing along as many family and friends as possible! I often say: “Someday we are all going to have an amazing party in heaven – invite EVERYONE you know!”
Of course we do not know the mind of God. As human beings we could never understand how Jesus can hold such love for us while simultaneously witnessing our struggles knowing he is the answer we are seeking. All we need to do is continually surrender to him our entire will and in return he will give us paradise. Today’s Gospel clearly shows us the dreams Jesus held as he walked the earth. Fully knowing the love of the Father, Jesus’ deepest desire was for us to live and be fully immersed in this love – just as he was. Can you imagine the infinite bliss available to each and every one of us when we finally surrender to the love our Father offers us…. Oh my, be still my little heart.
So what the heck??? Why does the humanity still writhe in pain, and most importantly, what can we do about it? Of course it is the evil one who brings forth sin and pain into the world, veiling us from the divine love which is our birth right. However, Jesus has already concurred sin and death and the spiritual battle has already been won. Mercy has prevailed over justice and sin has prevailed over death. So my friends, together let us claim what is rightfully ours. Let us give and receive love as Jesus wished so that we may also share in the Father’s love. Let us be of service to one another, creating a space where we will come to the Father together.
While we are each on our own unique journey towards the Father please allow me to share a bit of my week with you. Today I sit on a beautiful private veranda off my hotel room at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in Ojai, California. I have been blessed to spend the last several days here with my husband attending an awards trip he earned. It has been glorious! The people, the meals, the outings – the entire experience has been a gift. The company he works for is doing extremely well, and no small surprise, many (most) of the employees and their spouses are Christians! I am full of gratitude for the experience. Even a few of the top-level individuals have priests and religious in their immediate families!
As is usual for me when out-of-town I sought out the local Catholic Church and attended daily Mass. In Ojai, Saint Thomas Aquinas welcomed me and became my spiritual home. Just walking into the church caused tears to well up in my eyes. It was beautiful; the people were full of warm smiles, the familiar fragrance of lingering incense from previous Eucharistic celebrations was present, the altar was sacred, the statues of the Blessed Mother and her son, the holy water – ok, I better stop as I could go on and on; however, I believe you get the point. I was in love again – ahhh the gift of being Catholic!!! Then came a wave of sadness. On such a glorious weekday morning, this house of God is like all too many other Catholic Churches across the world – it was sparsely attended. So I prayed, I asked our Lord to use me while I am here in Ojai, I asked him to help me be his servant.
He did use me and my heart is grateful. While I won’t go into the details, I will share with you that I was blessed to share the Word with several people while in Ojai. I gave away a Pieta booklet to a brokenhearted woman (I buy them in bulk and give them away when the moment arises), I shared scripture with someone seeking direction and best of all I was able to feel the love of Jesus Christ in my heart. All I needed to do was ask, and he delivered in full glory!
While I could never know the reach of my witnessing over these last several days, what I do know is that Jesus filled my heart and used me as his vessel. My efforts feel so small in comparison to others; however, he filled my heart with divine love when I asked to be of service. It was I who received and it was I who became full of joy.
That’s how Jesus is, he will fill us with love when we ask to be of service. He gifts us first when we seek to be his servant. So together my friends, let us be his servants so that multitudes may run to him, so that his churches will be over flowing and so that his deepest wish my be fulfilled – that all of God’s children may be with him and see his glory.
Jesus – I love you!!!
