“Christianity is the present. It is both a gift and a task, receiving the gift of God’s inner closeness and — as a consequence — bearing witness to Jesus Christ.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth II, p. 282)
One of my biggest concerns as a priest is that not enough souls have a deep experience of Christ in prayer. They may have studied the Faith in school or CCD, attended Catholic schools for 12 or 16 years, even go to Mass every Sunday…but do they know Christ as a friend? Have they experienced the “gift of God’s inner closeness?” This will not naturally happen unless you make a serious commitment to daily prayer and a strong Eucharistic devotion. Christ cannot resist a heart that continually reaches out to him day after day, but he needs to see that you really want it!
Father Michael,
I am wondering what you mean by «Christ cannot resist a heart that continually reaches out to him…». To me, Christ is not the one who resists. I have been taught and willingly believe that we are those who offer resistance to his love.
Father responds:
Dear Francois in Christ,
Christ never resists, we are the one who resists, but in a mysterious way, Christ did open up his heart a little more to St. John the “beloved”
disciple and his blessed mother, who were both at the foot of the cross.
This inspiration from the Sacred Heart of Christ to St. Mary Margaret Alacoque has also been helpful to see that our fidelity and love does console the Heart of Christ and he responds to this love…he cannot resist to respond to a special love.
“Behold the Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing but has been poured out totally and consumed as proof of its love; and for gratitude I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their acts of irreverence and sacrilege and by the coldness and the contempt they have for me in this Sacrament of love. But what touches me closest is that the very hearts which are consecrated to me act thus. Because of that I ask of you that the first Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi be dedicated to a special feast to give honour to my Heart, by receiving Communion that day and making reparation for the indignity offered to it during the time it has been exposed on the altar. I promise you that my Heart will expand and spread abundantly the influences of its divine Love upon those who pay it this honour and those who procure that it shall be paid.”
God bless,
Fr. Michael Sliney, LC
I once had a long discussion on mysticism with a woman I used to volunteer with, preparing young people for the sacrament of Confirmation. She actually has a special devotion for sainte Marguerite-Marie Alacoque. I must confess though that mysticism is very difficult for me to understand. That being said, thank you for reminding us to try to get closer to Christ every day. Sometimes I feel I am only taking baby steps but I try.
François Miville-Deschênes