For about the last week, an image has been imprinted on my mind. This same image, and what I believe is the meaning behind it, will not leave my thoughts.
I believe that I am being prodded to share what has been given to me.
Hopefully, your heart, no matter how wounded it is, or how high you have built your wall up to block the pain of those wounds, will open up to the pure love and mercy that only Jesus can bring.
Whenever I gaze at a Crucifix, or meditate on Jesus hanging on the cross and dying for me, the image that I see is what I would see looking toward him.
The focus of that perspective is the pain, and complete agony and suffering of our Lord and Savior…followed by the feeling of sorrow that I played a part in that suffering…through the times of turning my back on Him and through the grievous sins of my life. That is the image that I usually experienced.
Now, I am viewing the image as Jesus would be seeing it…looking out.
What first went through my mind was, “Of course He is looking out…He is always looking out in love.”
Then my mind started asking the question, “What was He seeing as He was suffering on that Holy Cross?”
As He struggled to keep His eyes open, through the blood and sweat that must have been dripping down His face, His eyes would have focused on His Mother and her sister, Mary, wife of Clopas, Mary of Magdala, and His beloved Apostle, John. He saw the love and grief on their faces, and filled them with His Mercy and Pure Love…drawing them in even closer to Himself.
His eyes must have also scanned the empty spots…where were all of His followers? The anguish of being abandoned by His disciples…His Chosen…due to fear and lack of faith, must have added immensely to His suffering.
How do we still add to His suffering, due to our lack of faith, or fear? How many times do we pass up the opportunity to spend an hour in His Holy Presence during Adoration, or ignore His invitation to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and receive His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist? Or how many times do we just go through the motions of attending Mass, and actually go up to The Altar, to receive His Body and Blood, while being in the state of Mortal Sin? Why do we keep holding on to sins that hinder our relationship with Him…why do we choose not to receive the graces offered to us through the Sacrament of Confession?
When Jesus looked out as He was dying, He saw all of those things. He knew how we would all turn our backs on Him.
He saw those of us that were mocking Him, and those who were choosing the road that leads toward death. He experienced the reality of our hopelessness and despair, in those that were (or would be) confused and deceived by the evil one. As He hung on The Cross, He saw the evils that were done in darkness…that separated those hearts from Himself.
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34
Jesus looked at all of us in our sin, and felt compassion, mercy and love for us. He reaches out to each one of us, every single day, in many ways.
You know the ways He is reaching out for you. You already are feeling the little nudges that He blesses you with…how long will you wait to accept His Sacrifice for you?
Take that step of Faith…open your wounded heart to His comforting and healing Presence.
You were created for just that…to be one with Him. Reach out for His loving, merciful heart that is reaching for you.
https://catholicstand.com/the-mass-calvary-made-present-for-each-generation/
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