POPE ST. Leo the Great reigned for 21 years in the mid-5th century. He wrote, “The Lord’s passion is prolonged until the end of the world.” As long as his “little ones” are impoverished, Christ hungers with them. As long as a single tear falls to the cheek of one of his “little ones”, Jesus suffers their grief and sorrows as he did his own:
COME, ALL you who pass by the way, look and see whether there is any suffering like my suffering. At this I weep, my eyes run with tears: far from me are all who could console me, far away are any who might revive me. [Lam 1:12,16]
OUR LORD Jesus Christ suffers for you, and he suffers when you hold back from him. Perhaps there is still time for you to pause, reflect and surrender your whole heart to our crucified Lord. If you sincerely desire to console Jesus, to revive him in the midst of his suffering for you, then bring him your tears, your hunger and your distress. And let him heal you! “The Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth!” [1Jn 5:7]
ENTRUST YOURSELF to the Good Physician whose clinic is the Church, whose office is the Cross, whose license is the Gospel, and whose medicine of mercy is his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.
THE LORD himself has given you life by the blood and water which flowed from his side as he hung upon the cross: “Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God.” [1Jn 4:7] The God of peace entrusted the Good Physician to heal the world’s many sorrows. Pray that he will bless you with his grace and love.
IS ANY human being so well off, so insulated from life, so estranged from his own heart that he can say, I’ve never cried, I’ve never known loss, I’ve never been hurt? In the name of heaven, then, why do so many Christians carry their sorrows, impoverishment and injuries alone and apart from the Church?
