God has an awesome plan for humanity – a plan of rescue and radiance for each one of us and all of us. It began in the Garden of Eden and is woven throughout the whole history of the world, from Adam and Noah and Moses and Abraham and David, through Jesus and the Church, the martyrs of the Colosseum and the French Revolution, the rise and fall of nations and peoples, the choices of saints and sinners, and the lives of you and me.
But we usually settle for so much less than He desires for us because we cannot see the big picture, the plan of salvation, the utterly breathtaking reason of the universe. We need to repeatedly look at our place in the universe and in time – which is infinitesimally small – and then come to appreciate and receive our position in the Heart of God – which is disproportionately large! We are each large in God’s Heart.
God loves us. In truth, He loves us so much that He chose to create a world and a Heaven that would not be complete without you and me. He loves us so much that He gave Himself over to a life of poverty and toil and laid down His life in a humiliating execution to prove His love and secure our place with Him forever.
We like happy endings, but God loves beginnings with no ending. You and I are created to live with Him in indescribable joy and peace forever. Forever.
It is the deep desire of His Heart that we receive this gift and allow Him to save us. We must open our eyes and our minds and our hearts to this rescue operation and take up His yoke to work with Him to achieve the goal He has for us. But we find it hard to accept, because we are fallen and free. We can choose to reject this great plan.
Jesus reproaches those who have seen the mighty deeds that were intended to free them from their slavery to sin and darkness so that they could be rescued, because they refused to receive this great gift of freedom. They refused to see and receive His loving offer. His reproach is not full of anger, but full of mourning; love that is not received grieves because it sees clearly that a rejection of love leads to misery.
Let us pray today for the grace to receive this awesome offer of rescue from the Heart of Love, so that we take up the yoke of true freedom and follow in His footsteps to live with Him forever.
Dios tiene un plan maravilloso para la humanidad: un plan de rescate y resplandor para cada uno de nosotros y para todos nosotros. Comenzó en el Jardín del Edén y está tejido a lo largo de toda la historia del mundo, desde Adán y Noé y Moisés y Abraham y David, pasando por Jesús y la Iglesia, los mártires del Coliseo y la Revolución Francesa, el ascenso y la caída de naciones y pueblos, las decisiones de santos y pecadores, y las vidas de ustedes y de mí.
Pero normalmente nos conformamos con mucho menos de lo que Él desea para nosotros porque no podemos ver el panorama general, el plan de salvación, la razón absolutamente impresionante del universo. Necesitamos mirar repetidamente nuestro lugar en el universo y en el tiempo – que es infinitamente pequeño – y luego llegar a apreciar y recibir nuestra posición en el Corazón de Dios – ¡que es desproporcionadamente grande! Cada uno de nosotros somos grandes en el Corazón de Dios.
Dios nos ama. En verdad, Él nos ama tanto que eligió crear un mundo y un Cielo que no estaría completo sin ti y sin mí. Él nos ama tanto que se entregó a una vida de pobreza y trabajo duro y entregó su vida en una ejecución humillante para demostrar su amor y asegurar nuestro lugar con él para siempre.
Nos gustan los finales felices, pero a Dios le encantan los comienzos sin fin. Tú y yo fuimos creados para vivir con Él en un gozo y una paz indescriptibles para siempre. ¡Para siempre!
Es el profundo deseo de Su Corazón que recibamos este regalo y le permitamos salvarnos. Debemos abrir nuestros ojos, nuestra mente y nuestro corazón a esta operación de rescate y tomar Su yugo para trabajar con Él para lograr la meta que Él tiene para nosotros. Pero nos resulta difícil aceptarlo, porque somos caídos y libres. Podemos optar por rechazar este gran plan.
Jesús reprocha a quienes han visto las maravillas que pretendían liberarlos de su esclavitud al pecado y a las tinieblas para poder ser rescatados, porque se negaron a recibir este gran regalo de la libertad. Se negaron a ver y recibir su amorosa oferta. Su reproche no está lleno de ira, sino lleno de luto; el amor que no se recibe se entristece porque ve claramente que el rechazo del amor conduce a la miseria.
Oremos hoy por la gracia de recibir esta maravillosa oferta de rescate del Corazón de Amor, para que tomemos el yugo de la verdadera libertad y sigamos sus pasos para vivir con Él para siempre.
Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and eight grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com
Feature Image Credit: Jonathan Dick, OSFS, unsplash.com/s/photos/sacred-heart-of-jesus
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