Encouragement

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“Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you.” Isaiah 55:3

I hope we are all still savoring the Easter feeling and delighting in the Easter Season which seems to have a special touch of its own. There is always a different approach to these days, we somehow feel more empowered and strong as we have the confidence of the Risen Lord and the promise of the resurrection for ourselves as well.

A friend told me once that she felt that people did not love her the way she wanted them to. I tried to comfort her with the thought that perhaps they loved her more than she realized but they just did not express it and hence she felt this way and always had her doubts.

Perhaps, we all are in the same boat, we have our doubts and in turn we don’t do and say the things that we ought to. We never reveal our heart. A pastor once remarked on how a woman’s love was sweet as sugar and addictive whereas a man’s love was like a coconut, hard and formidable on the outer core but inside soft and tender. We say, love can be gentle as silence, though for some a prolonged silence can be quite disheartening. What does the heart really want? The answer is to be loved so greatly and intensely overlooking all faults and failures. This is how God loves us with a fervor so great and a love so deep that He thinks of us every moment and watches over us.

Who can escape from assailing doubts? We have always been a victim of this at some point in time. We see how after Jesus’ resurrection, Thomas refused to believe in the Risen Lord until He saw for himself. We have on one hand, a doubting Thomas and on the other a readily believing Mary Magdalene after the resurrection.

However, we should feel proud to belong to the generation which has effectively followed the words proclaimed by St. Peter (1:3-9) after the Lord had risen, “You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe, and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.”

Did Thomas really put his hand into Jesus’ side to feel His wound for a reconfirmation? I don’t think so because the presence of the Lord was enough for him to believe as He exclaimed on seeing Jesus; “My Lord and my God.” Similarly, the Lord’s presence helped the apostles overcome their own fear and go forth to preach about the resurrection boldly to the people.

And so it is with all of us. God’s presence changes us. Our hearts leap in joy when we feel His acute presence amongst our midst. Our anxieties disappear and our faith is strengthened.
Two days ago, I gave a spiritual talk in the Church which was preceded by a praise and worship session. It ended with the Hymn, ‘In the Presence.’ and somehow the line, “I am changed in the presence of a holy God.” lingered with me as I rose and went ahead to speak the Word. I actually felt an inner transformation of myself and it seemed like the Lord was speaking through me. It was His words and not mine.

Today is the Feast of Divine mercy. How many of us realize the power of the Divine Mercy Chaplet? This is the first recourse that I turn to whenever asked to pray for a sick person. It is highly advocated to say the chaplet asking the Lord to have mercy on the concerned person directly. This chaplet has worked wonders whenever I have prayed it on behalf of others.

This is the day when God poured His mercy on all of mankind. As Jesus told St. Faustina that His mercy was the last resort that the world could turn to in order to be saved. Let us pour the precious blood of Jesus on every cell of our being, the blood and water which gushed forth from His Revealing Heart on the Cross for the whole of humanity.

Jesus did not hesitate to reveal His love filled heart for us which was pierced with a lance. The Risen Lord has paid a heavy price for us. Let us reciprocate this love and reveal our own love filled hearts. As it is said, “Love is not free, it comes with a price which is the heart.”

Maria Franco

 

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