I Thirst For...You -- Jesus

“I Thirst for You”

The divine words, “I thirst,” first spoken on Calvary, still echo throughout every time and place.  God still speaks them in the empty space, the dark and lonely place in every human heart.

“Jesus is thirsting for us right now….Do we listen to Him saying, ‘I thirst for your love?’… Do we really hear Him… He is saying it right now” (Mother Teresa).

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock” (Rev. 3:20).

Click here to listen to Fr. John Riccardo read it, he includes his comments afterwards.

It is true. I stand at the door of your heart, day and night. Even when you are not listening, even when you doubt it could be me, I am there. I await even the smallest sign of your response, even the slightest hint of invitation that will allow me to enter.

I want you to know that whenever you invite me, I come. Always, without fail. Silent and unseen I come, but with infinite power and love, bringing the many gifts of my Father. I come with my mercy; with my desire to forgive and heal you, and with a love for you beyond your comprehension—a love every bit as great as the love I myself have received from the Father. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you” (Jn. 15:9). I come longing to console you and give you strength, to lift you up and bind your wounds. I bring you my light, to dispel your darkness and all your doubts. I come with my power, that I might carry you and all of your burdens; with my grace, to touch your heart and transform your life; and my peace I give to still your soul.

I know you through and through. I know everything about you. The very hairs on your head I have numbered. Nothing in your life is unimportant to me. I have followed you through the years, and I have always loved you, even in your wanderings. I know everyone of your problems; I know your needs, your fears, and your worries. I hear your every whispered prayer, always. Even when it seems I am silent, I am ever at work in your life to bless you and protect you.

Every movement of your hearts I follow, and your every thought. I know all your pain, your struggles and your trials, your failures and heartaches. And yes, I know all your sins. But I tell you again that I love you, and not for what you have or haven’t done. I love you for you. I love you because you are. I love you for the beauty and dignity my Father gave you, creating you in His own image. It is a dignity you have forgotten, a beauty you have tarnished with ego and sin. But I love as you are, infinitely, completely, without reserve; and I have shed my blood to win you back. If you only ask me with faith, my grace will touch all that needs changing in your life, and I will give you the strength to free yourself from sin and from all that binds and burdens you, and from all that takes you away from me.

I know what is in your heart. I know your loneliness and all your hurts: the rejections, the judgments, the humiliations. I carried it all before you. And I carried it all for you so that you might share my strength and my victory. I know especially your need for love, how you thirst to be accepted and appreciated, loved and cherished. But how often have you thirsted in vain, seeking that love outside of me – I who am its Source – striving to fill the emptiness inside you with passing pleasures, and often with the even greater emptiness of sin. Do you thirst for love? “If anyone thirst, let him come to me….” (Jn. 7:37). I will satisfy your desire for love beyond your dreams. Do you thirst to be appreciated and cherished? I cherish you more than you can imagine, to the point leaving heaven for you, and of dying on a cross to make you one with me.

Don’t you realize that your thirst for love is a thirst for me, I who am Love? I am myself the answer to your deepest desires.

I THIRST FOR YOU…. Yes, that is the only way to describe my love for you: I thirst for you: I thirst to love you and to be loved by you—that is how precious you are to me.

· Come to me and I will fill your heart and heal your wounds. I will make you a new creation, and give you peace in all your trials.

· You must never doubt my mercy, my acceptance of you, my desire to forgive, my longing to bless you and live my life in you.

· If you feel unimportant in the eyes of the world, that matters not at all. For, there is no one more important than you.

· Open to me, come to me, thirst for me, give my your life—and I will prove to you how important you are to my heart.

Don’t you realize that my Father already has a perfect plan to transform your life, beginning from this moment? Trust in me. Ask me very day to enter and take charge of your life—and I will. I promise you before my Father in heaven that I will work miracles in your life. Why should I do this? Because I thirst for you. All I ask is that you entrust yourself to me completely. I will do the rest.

Even now I behold the place my Father has prepared for you in my kingdom. Remember that you are a pilgrim in this life, on a journey home. The things of this world can never satisfy you, nor bring peace you seek. All that you have sought outside of me has only left you more empty, so do not cling to material things. Above all, do not run from me when you fall. Come to me without delay. Wen you give me your sins, you give me the joy of being your Savior. There is nothing I cannot forgive and heal. So come now, and unburden your soul.

No matter how far you may wander, no matter how often you forget me, no matter how many crosses you may bear in this life, there is one thing I want you to always remember, one thing that will never change: I thirst for you – just as you are. You don’t need to change to believe in my love, for it will be your belief in my love that will change you. You forget me, and yet I am seeking you every moment of the day, standing at the door of your heart and knocking. Do you find this hard to believe? Then look at the cross—look at my heart that was pierced for you. Have you not understood my cross? Then listen again to the words I spoke there, for they tell you clearly why I endured all this for you: “I thirst” (Jn. 19:28). Yes, I thirst for you as the rest of the psalm-verse I was reciting says of me: “I looked for pity, but there was none” (Ps. 69:20). All your life I have been looking for your love and to be loved by you. You have tried many other things in your search for happiness. Why not try opening your heart to me, right now, more than you ever have before?

Whenever you do open the door of your heart, whenever you come close enough, you will hear me say to you again and again, not in mere human words but in spirit:

No matter what you have done, I love you for your own sake. Come to me with your misery and your sins, with your troubles and needs, and will all your longing to be loved. I stand at the door of your heart and knock. Open to me, for I thirst for you.

“Jesus is God, therefore His Love, His Thirst is infinite. He the Creator of the universe, asked for the love of His creatures.”

“He thirsts for our love….”

“These words: ‘I thirst’ – do they echo in your souls?”

“Today, Jesus had His arms extended to embrace you. Today Jesus’ Heart was opened to receive you. Were you there?”

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta 

Courtesy of Deacon Edward Kleinguetl

Taken from Joseph Langford MC, Mother Teresa’s Secret Fire: The Encounter That Changed Her Life, and How It Can Transform Your Own, Our Sunday Visitor Press, Huntington, Indiana, 2008, 133-137.

Parable of the Second Chance - Kleinguetl

Edward Kleinguetl      
Third Sunday of Lent (C)

March 3, 2013

Homily

Gospel:  Luke 13:1-9

Our Gospel today contains what is often referred to as the Parable of the Second Chance.1 The fig tree is an appropriate image for our Lenten reflection as we consider our relationship with Jesus Christ.  Probably many of us in our lives can relate to the fig tree which appeared to be lifeless.  We have periods where we feel barren or are thirsting for something greater.  Yet, I can say with absolute certainty that every human heart, no matter how barren, has the capacity for immense love, mercy, and compassion.  How do I know this?  Because all are created in the image of God; each of us has the Divine Image impressed within.  Yes, it is true that sometimes that image is not as brilliant as it should be, perhaps coated with dust and neglect. However, the image is part of who we are. Lent is one of seasons of the Church where we re-examine our relationship with Jesus, to start scrubbing away the decay in order to draw closer to Him, for we are told, whoever remains in Him bears much fruit.2

The second chance is ours to accept.  We can choose to seek Jesus in our lives or not.  However, we can simply look to the crucifix above and know our Father’s desire for us – we can see the depth of His love.  Look up and reflect for a moment on Jesus, in anguish on the cross.  Hear his words:  “I thirst.”  He thirsts for each of us, just as we are.  When we are weak, when we doubt, or when we feel like we are failing, look upon the cross.  It is a reminder we are never left alone.  When we consider Jesus on the cross, by human standards one could say his life was a defeat, a disappointment, and a failure.  Even most of his disciples scattered in fear and doubt.  Think of Jesus, “reduced to absolute immobility, nailed on the cross.  He was no longer able to encounter people, to cure the sick, to teach…. Yet in the eyes of God, that was the most important moment of his life, because it was then that he poured out his blood for the salvation of humanity.”3

It was through this act of perfect self-giving that we can begin to appreciate the depths of the Father’s love for us.  He gave humanity a second chance after Adam’s rejection in the Garden of Eden; God sent us His Son. It also helps us to understand how we are called to live in own our lives.  We too are asked to completely surrender and trust in God’s plan.  Like the fig tree, we are given the chance to bear fruit.  He will never give up on us.  The rest is up to us.

Next week in the Gospel, we will hear the Parable of the Prodigal Son; another story of a second chance.  There is no more beautiful image in the Bible, in my opinion, than the Loving Father embracing and unconditionally forgiving his wayward son.  Yet, if we stop with this image in our mind, we will miss one of the most important messages of the parable:  We too are called to be like the Loving Father, to forgive unconditionally, even when it hurts.  Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta would tell us: “Love is a one-way street.  It always moves away from self in the direction of the other.  It is through love (even when it hurts) that we encounter God.”4  Thus, without love, we will be like the barren fig tree, exhausting the soil and squandering our gifts.

If you would say to me, this is too hard, I would agree.  I struggle with this each day. Yet, this is the standard to which each of us is called; we have the capacity to love deeply because we have the Divine Image impressed within us.  Alone, of course, it is impossible.  However with God, nothing is impossible.5  That is why during this Lenten season, we strive to deepen our relationship with Jesus, who is the way to the Father.6

What should we do?  How do we deepen our relationship with Jesus?  In our parable today, the gardener cultivated the soil and fertilized it.  We can cultivate the soil of our hearts; we have the three traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  Today, let me just concentrate for a moment on prayer because so many people in the world hunger to know Jesus.

Prayer, specifically contemplative prayer, is to listen to voice of Jesus within the silent depths of our hearts; to hear His knocking and to let Him in.7  If you want a close, personal relationship with Jesus, contemplative prayer is the way.  The most ancient form of contemplative prayer is the Jesus Prayer – my personal favorite and Fr. Alfonso’s as well.  Can we make time in our lives during this Lenten season to encounter Jesus in prayer?  

How much time?  This is up to each individual; some of the great mystics will say to start with 15 to 20 minutes per day8 – just be consistent; taking time each day, making it a discipline.

Of course, there are other forms of fertilizer, too, such as reading Scripture, particularly the Gospels, receiving Eucharist, and of course, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the “forgotten medicine,”9 in which we are truly able to have our burdens lifted and hear the words of Jesus, “You are forgiven!”  

This is how we deepen our relationship with Jesus, to take advantage of the second chance given us.  

Over this remaining Lenten season, let us actively seek to deepen our relationship with Jesus, taking time to encounter Jesus in the depths of our hearts; simply listening to Him in the silence.

As we approach the Holy Table today, before we receive the Precious Body and Life-giving Blood or Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, let us each take a moment to look up at the cross and hear those words of Jesus, “I thirst.”  Know that he thirsts for every single one of us; he accepts us just as we are.  Like the fig tree and the Prodigal Son, he offers everyone another chance. Take a moment to offer a brief prayer such as, “Lord Jesus, you died for love of me.  Help me to die to self for love of you."

Then, as we receive Him in Holy Communion, let us allow Him to give us the grace we need to surrender and draw closer to Him during this Lenten season.  He will give us the grace we need.  All we have to do is ask.  The choice is ours.



1. William Barclay, The Gospel of Luke, taken from The Daily Bible Study series, rev. ed., (Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, 2001): 208.

2. Cf. John 15:5. 

3. Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, Testimony of Hope: The Spiritual Exercises of John Paul II, transl. Julia Mary Darrenkamp, FSP, and Anne Eileen Hefferman, FSP, (Pauline Books & Media, Boston, 2000): 205.

4. Cf. Mother Teresa, Where There is Love, There is God, Brian Kolodiejchuk, MC, PhD, (Image Books, New York, 2010): 26.

5. Cf. Matt. 19:26 

6. See John 14:6.

7. Cf. Rev. 3:20.

8. St. Theophan the Recluse suggests 15 minutes per day and Fr. Thomas Keating, OCSO suggests 20 minutes a day, twice a day. 

9. See Seraphim Aleksiev, The Forgotten Medicine: The Mystery of Repentance, Transl. by Ralitsa Doynova, St. Xenia Skete Press, Wildwood, California, 1994.

Fr. Ed Kleinguetl

Deacon Ed at the Beijing South Cathedral for the English Mass

I recently meet Fr. Deacon Ed Kleinguetl (of St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church) through an online prayer group. 

He is the first Byzantine deacon that I have been in communication with. Below are some of the homilies he has shared with me. I hope they inspire you too.  It is my hope that the Holy Spirit will move through his words to your heart and help you on your journey to being completely one with Jesus.

Since I can't directly link his documents to this blog (or at least don't know how at this moment),  I will include his homilies in individual posts and include the links below for convenience. (For my convenience, I will label the post the date as the day of the sermon.)

Deacon Ed's notes on the homilies: "As for the homilies, thank you for your kind words.  First, all are a gift of the Holy Spirit, the fruits of my own prayer (I am but a collaborator, as St. Basil the Great would say.)  Second, it is tailored to my congregations.  Third, these are only guides.  While I write each homily out in full, I never use notes when I deliver it.  I have to trust God -- it's His message and His Word.  If you want to post them, please feel free."     


2012
 Feb 5- Sunday of the Prodigal Son: Now We Must Celebrate; He Was Lost But Now Has Been Found
 Feb 19- Cheesefare Sunday: Preparing for the Great Fast with Humility 
Mar 11- Veneration of the Cross: Authentic Discipleship
Apr 15 - Easter Sunday: Do Not Be Unbelieving, But Believe  

2013
Mar 3 - Third Week in Lent

“Do not be unbelieving, but believe.” -- Kleinguetl

Edward Kleinguetl

Easter-02 (B)

April 15, 2012 

Gospel:  John 20:19-31

“Do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

“Do not be unbelieving, but believe.” (see foot note 1)  For me, this is a passage of Scripture I seem to need to hear more frequently than I care to admit, because the reality is this:  it is human nature to have doubts and to experience fear.  When I was younger and heard this Scripture passage, I always believed that if it was me, I would be like the disciples who rejoiced when they saw the risen Lord.  I certainly would not be like Thomas, would I?  How foolish Thomas seemed to have been – he was the only one in the group that did not share the same enthusiasm.  He did seem to understand and appeared to have been left behind in his faith – and that would never happen to me, would it?  Today, I think:  “Thank goodness for Thomas!”  It means there is hope for me.  While I intellectually believe that Jesus rose from the dead, sometimes I am afraid to live that belief when I am called “to walk by faith and not be sight.”(see fn 2)  This means that somehow, the faith in my heart must be lukewarm (see fn 3) and I need to be reinvigorated by Jesus’ words from our Gospel today:  “Do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

Many times in our lives, we are very much like the disciples in the upper room.  The doors to our hearts are locked, seized up with fear, doubt, and despair.  The realities of daily life often override the reminders of Jesus to not let our hearts be troubled,(see fn 4) to trust in him, (see fn 5) that trials will not overwhelm us,(see fn 6) and that he is with us always until the end. (see fn 7)

Today, as we reflect on the meaning of the Resurrection in our own lives, let us remember that the Risen Jesus greatly desires to enter into our hearts, wholly and substantially.  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.”(see fn 8)  Will we open the door of our hearts and allow Our Risen Lord to enter?  Will we be believing or unbelieving?

The Resurrection is the central mystery of our faith.  Jesus being raised from the dead is our proof that God will never abandon us and the Easter triumph fills us with great joy.  It is the ultimate triumph of good over adversity and evil. So, why do we hesitate?  Because to let Jesus enter our hearts wholly and substantially means to allow him to lead our lives; it means that we must make ourselves vulnerable and to trust in him and not ourselves; and because of our human nature, it’s that vulnerability that creates fear and uncertainty, the shackles that often lock the doors to our heart.  We like the vision of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor; it is the other mountain, Golgotha, which gives us pause to think.  

However, we cannot take the joy of the Resurrection out of context.  We need to remember that the path to victory leads through Golgotha and the crucifixion.  We did not just celebrate Easter last week; we went through the entire journey of Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter; from the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, to the Last Supper, to Jesus’ crucifixion and death on the cross, to the empty tomb.  And so it is with the journey of our own lives today; we must believe, not be unbelieving.

Jesus does not deceive us; his way is one of sacrifice and humility.  His is the way of the cross.  So, what prevents us from opening the doors of our heart to welcome our Risen Lord? Why do we persist in our unbelief?  We already know from the Scriptures what an illumined heart must be like; we hear in the Resurrection account of the disciples who, after they had encountered Jesus on the way to Emmaus, said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us?”  (see fn 9)Do we think that a heart so enflamed by an encounter with Our Risen Lord can ever be overcome by any of the difficulties or challenges we experience in our lives?  The Resurrection in the context of the entire Paschal Mystery is proof that no matter where life leads us, we have a future filled with hope – we have the ability to become children of God. (see fn 10)

As we consider the meaning of the Resurrection in our lives, are we willing, like Thomas, to declare, “My Lord and my God,”(see fn 11)  even in the darkest challenges we face?

• Are we willing to surrender to the Will of God and patiently endure the afflictions and trials that come our way? (see fn 12)
• Do we truly believe that everything that happens to us is through the providence of God, and is ordered for our benefit?  (see fn 13)
• Do we really believe that God has a plan for us; (see fn 14) that sometimes we simply need to walk by faith and not by sight? 
• Are we willing to let Jesus enter our hearts and lead us without hesitation?
• Are we willing to believe, truly believe, instead of succumbing to doubts and uncertainty?

The beauty of Thomas’ profession of faith is that while he seemed to be the most stubborn of the disciples, his profession of faith was also the strongest.  Not only did he acknowledge Jesus as “Lord,” but he also acknowledged Jesus as “God.”  “My Lord and my God.”  He acknowledged what he saw – the risen Lord – as well as what he did not see, the divinity of Jesus.   Thomas was not half-hearted in his profession; he plunged in whole: “My Lord and my God!”   Thomas is much like so many of us.  He is a reminder that we need to shatter the shackles of unbelief surrounding our hearts and to allow the Risen Lord to enter in, wholly and substantially.

As we approach the Eucharistic banquet today to receive the precious Body and Life-giving Blood of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, Christ truly present in our midst, let us pray for the gift of faith, to with great joy acknowledge the Risen Lord, to surrender our lives to His Will, to walk by faith and not by sight, and allow Him to lead us to the sure victory of Easter joy.  “Do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

¹Jn. 20:27(b). 

²2 Corinthians 5:7. 

³See Rev. 3:15-16:  “I know your works; I know you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either cold or hot.  So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” 

⁴John 14:1:  “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”  

⁵John 14:1:  “You have faith in God, have faith also in me.” 

⁶See. Matt. 6:25-34 and Luke 21:12-18.  “Not a hair on your head will be destroyed” (Lk. 21:18). 

⁷Cf. Matt. 28:20. 

⁸Rev. 3:20. 

⁹Luke 24:32. 

¹⁰See John 1:12 and 1 John 3:1.  

¹¹Jn. 20:28. 

¹²Cf. Wisdom 3:5-6.  “Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of Himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings, He took them to Himself.”

¹³“Above all let us be convinced that nothing can happen to us apart from the providence of God.” Dorotheos of Gaza, Discourses and Sayings. Transl. Eric P. Wheeler. Taken from Cistercian Studies Series, No. 33, (Cistercian Publications, Kalamazoo, Michigan): 1977. 143.  (Discourse VII, “On Self-accusation.”) 

¹⁴Cf. Jeremiah 29:11-14. 

Click here for more Homilies from Fr. Deacon Ed Kleinguetl

Authentic Discipleship - Kleinguetl

Epistle:  Hebrews 4:14 – 5:6 Gospel:  Mark 8:34 – 9:1  

Authentic Discipleship

Glory to Jesus Christ!                            Slava Isusu Christu!                        

“If a man wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self, take up his cross, and follow in my steps.”[1] In this our third Sunday of the Great Fast, we are reminded that the way to the joy of the Resurrection is through the cross.   Let’s be honest with ourselves.  Wouldn’t we really rather have a Messiah who promises to deliver us from pain and suffering versus one who offers us a path of pain and suffering?  That is why the sweet sounding promises of secular society sometimes seem so much more appealing – empty promises of instant happiness, in contrast to Jesus telling us that his way is the way of the cross.

This is a reality check for us as Christians because Jesus did not promise us an easy way; he does not deceive regarding the challenges.  His words are quite clear in terms of what authentic discipleship is – denial of self.  Love of self was the ruin of the first man, Adam, who preferred self to God.[2] Thus, Jesus came to model the way for us; to show us how to live in right relationship with the Father – a relationship that is completely dependent upon Him. Jesus also tells us plainly that the way to salvation is one of suffering.  Yet, “Jesus never called anyone to do or face anything which he was not willing to do or face himself.”[3]

  We are not asked to go the road alone; rather, we are asked to follow Jesus in his steps.

To put this particular Gospel passage into greater context, just a few verses before, Jesus asks his disciples:  “But, who do you say I am?” and Peter gives his famous profession of faith, “You are the Messiah!”  Jesus is recognized as the deliverer of the people.  Immediately after this passage, in fact the very next verse, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up Mount Tabor where he is transfigured before their eyes; a foretaste of the glory that is to come.  In between these events, Jesus defines authentic discipleship: self-denial, bearing our crosses, and following his way.

For us on our spiritual journey, this Gospel passage truly challenges us to integrate the reality of Jesus’ suffering (and our own) into our understanding of who Jesus is and what authentic discipleship means.[4]

  

• Are willing to surrender ourselves and endure the afflictions and trials that come our way?[5]
• Do we really believe that everything that happens to us is through the providence of God, and ordered for our benefit?[6]
• Do we really believe that He has a plan for us[7]; that sometimes we need to walk by faith and not by sight? [8] 

We are told the way to salvation requires total commitment and we are warned that a self-centered existence, despite all the secular promises to the contrary, will only result in us losing the lives we are so often desperately trying to preserve.[9]  We could choose to go the way of Adam, yet Jesus re-ordered our thinking about suffering and modeled the true way through his self-emptying; he knew what lay ahead beyond Mount Tabor; he did not shy away from trials and hardships,  but accepted them willingly for our sake.  (“Father, not what I will, but what You will.”[10])  We in turn are asked to do the same.  We are asked to ponder the meaning of the cross in our own lives.  What burdens does he ask us to bear?  What is God trying to tell us?  Is he trying to tell us not to worry;[11] that his grace is sufficient for us? [12]

While ponder the cross and its meaning in our lives, let’s put everything into even broader context in terms of our journey through the Great Fast toward Easter; how the Church Fathers have ordered the roadmap for us and pinpoint where we are today.

• On the First Sunday of Lent, we began with the Triumph of Orthodoxy:  recalling that our choice should be the True Faith, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, over heresies – including the empty promises of our secular society today.
• Last week, the Second Sunday of Lent, we commemorated St. Gregory Palamas and were reminded that we as human beings can become divine (theosis, as we know it) through the grace of God in the Holy Spirit.
• Today, the Third Sunday of Lent, we are told the way of salvation is the way of the cross and authentic discipleship is defined for us.
• Next week, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, we will commemorate St. John Climacus and “The Ladder,” which describes a process of purification beginning with humility (or, denial of self) and which leads us to our heavenly home through gradual transformation.
• The Fifth Sunday of Lent we will commemorate St. Mary of Egypt and will be reminded that God’s love extends to all – that anyone can choose God and repent.
• Finally, on Palm Sunday, we will be asked to consider where we will stand:  with the fickle crowd who one day is shouting Hosanna, hailing the hero of the day, only later the same week to be shouting, “Crucify him!”  Or, we will be one of the faithful few to remain with Jesus at the foot of the cross?

This is the roadmap of our Lenten journey.  So, this week let us ponder Jesus’ message of the cross carefully.  His message is unambiguous; the choice of discipleship is ours.

Finally, let us consider some words of guidance from the classic, Unseen Warfare:

“Follow willingly in the footsteps of the Lord not only to Mount Tabor, but also to Golgotha, in other words, not only when you feel divine light and spiritual joys and delights within you, but also when you are assailed by darkness, afflictions, stress and bitterness, which the soul has to experience at times from the temptations of the demons, both inner and outer. Even if this cooling (of your heart) is accompanied by such darkness and confusion that you do not know what to do and where to turn, have no fear. Stand firm in your place, remain submissively on your cross and cast far away from you every earthly comfort, which the world or flesh choose to offer, prompted by the enemy.”[13]

As we approach the Holy Table today to partake of the Precious Body and Life-giving Blood of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, Christ our guide on the journey and truly present in our midst, let us pray that we be strengthened to accept authentic discipleship in our lives:  to deny ourselves, accept our crosses, and follow him no matter where he leads us.  As we heard in our Epistle, Jesus knows our struggles and we can confidently approach His throne to ask for mercy. [14]

Glory to Jesus Christ!                            Slava Isusu Christu!

¹Mark 8:34. 

²Cf. Caesarius of Arles, Sermons, 159.  Taken from Taken from Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (ACCS), New Testament Vol. II, “Mark,” Thomas C. Oden and Christopher A. Hall, ed., Thomas C. Oden, gen. ed. (InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1998): 112. 

³William Barclay, The Gospel of Mark, from The New Daily Study Bible series (Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, 2001): 234. 

⁴John R. Donahue, SJ and Daniel J. Herrington, SJ, The Gospel of Mark.  Sacra Pagina series, Vol. 2, Daniel J. Herrington, ed.  (Collegeville, Minnesota:  The Liturgical Press, 2002), 266. 

⁵Cf. Wisdom 3:5-6.  “Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of Himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings, He took them to Himself.”

⁶“Above all let us be convinced that nothing can happen to us apart from the providence of God.” Dorotheos of Gaza, Discourses and Sayings. Transl. Eric P. Wheeler. Taken from Cistercian Studies Series, No. 33, (Cistercian Publications, Kalamazoo, Michigan): 1977. 143.  (Discourse VII, “On Self-accusation.”) 

⁷Cf. Jeremiah 29:11-14. 

⁸Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:7 

⁹Cf. Mark 8:35. 

¹⁰Mark 14:36. 

¹¹Cf. Matthew 6:25-34. 

                 ¹²Cf. 2 Corinthians 12:9. 

¹³Unseen Warfare, being the “Spiritual Combat” and “Path to Paradise” of Lorenzo Scupoli, as edited by Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain and revised by Theophan the Recluse.  Transl. by E. Kadloubovsky and GEH Palmer, (Faber and Faber, London, 1963):  188-189. 

¹⁴Cf. Hebrews 4:15-16. 

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Preparing for the Great Fast with Humility - Kleinguetl

Edward Kleinguetl

Cheesefare Sunday

February 19, 2012

Gospel:  Matthew 6:14-21.  Epistle:  Romans 13:11 – 14:4.

Preparing for the Great Fast with Humility

Glory to Jesus Christ!                            Slava Isusu Christu!                        

Today on this Cheesefare Sunday 2012, and we find ourselves once again at the threshold of the Great Fast.  We are given this time each year to stand with intellectual honesty before Our Heavenly Father to examine our relationship with Him.  In terms of guidance for this process, our Early Church Fathers have provided us with today’s Gospel which speaks to us of forgiveness, fasting, and storing up the right type of treasure.  What do these three themes have in common?  For me, in a word, Jesus speaks to us of humility and our Gospel challenges us to consider three questions in preparation for the Lenten journey ahead:

• How is our relationship with God?
• How is our relationship with others?  And, 
• What are our true motives?

Reality check:  None of us can claim we have perfectly fulfilled our duty to God or others. (see foot note 1) Let’s be honest with ourselves: we are all fallible human beings and fall short of what God originally created us to be.  We all have our faults and failings.  Yet, our primary objective is to enter into a deeper relationship with our Loving Father, which means striving to remove the impurities from our hearts.  “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” (see fn 2)

  

In our relationship with God, humility is the foundation for all the virtues, (see fn 3) which when practiced, help remove the impurities from our hearts.  Jesus modeled humility for us:  “Though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not deem equality with God, something to be grasped.  Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave.”(see fn 4)

  

In order to grow closer to God, we need to admit our own brokenness.  It is interesting that in the three Sundays that began the Triodion, the theme of brokenness and human failing comes across quite clearly:  We heard of Zacchaeus, the Publican and Pharisee, and the Prodigal Son.  These Gospel readings also spoke to us about humility and repentance.  Thus, one way we can grow closer to our Loving Father is by approaching Him in humility through the Holy Mystery of Repentance.  Here we can come before God and acknowledge, like the Prodigal Son, that we have sinned and desire to restore our relationship to the original dignity as the Father intended –not hanging out in the pigpen like the Prodigal did and where our sins will lead us, but as a child of God.  In the Holy Mystery, The Forgotten Medicine as it has been described, (see fn 5) we experience profound relief from having come before our Loving Father in humility, leaving our past personal baggage behind, and we find great joy in realizing just how much our Heavenly Father truly loves us.  

One of my favorite images in the Gospel is of the Loving Father, upon seeing his son in the distance, racing toward him and embracing him.  His offenses are forgiven and forgotten; his dignity restored (evidenced by the ring placed on his finger).  As we prepare to enter the Great Fast, let us consider how we might approach our Heavenly Father in a spirit of humility and repentance.

Being reconciled with our God also helps us to approach others – through the joy we have experienced we have an increased desire to show mercy and compassion; to help others experience the love of God too. [Last week’s Gospel also stressed this when the king says: “I assure you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did it for me.”(see fn 6)]

I mentioned the image of the Father embracing the Prodigal Son and I suspect most of us, when we examine our lives, can see at least a bit of the wayward son within ourselves.  Am I right? However, how many of us when we examine our lives also see the Loving Father within ourselves?  Yet, we are also called to be like the Loving Father. (see fn 7) Jesus is clear in the Gospel:  we are to love and forgive, to show mercy and compassion; to follow his example.  As St. John Chrysostom tells us, “Nothing makes us so like God as our readiness to forgive the wicked and wrongdoer.”  (see fn 8) Jesus also makes it clear in our Gospel today that we have a reciprocal responsibility:  If we want our Heavenly Father to forgive us, we must forgive others.  Human and divine forgiveness are intertwined. (see fn 9) This is something we acknowledge each time we pray the Our Father:  “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Thus, as we prepare to enter the Great Fast, let us examine our relationship with our others.  Are we willing to forgive – to truly forgive like our Heavenly Father?  Do we consider ourselves to be the last of all and the servant of all (see fn 10)(like Jesus), or we do we tend to judge others as being less worthy of the Father’s love?  As we prepare for Forgiveness Vespers later today, let us consider our willingness to be like the Loving Father and forgive others.

Finally, what are the true motives behind our actions?  Is it seeking human approval and accolades, or do we do “all for the greater glory of God?”(see fn 11) Pride is often a stumbling block to humility – and as mentioned, humility is the foundation for all the other virtues.  In our Gospel today, Jesus is quite clear:  “Where your treasure is, there also is your heart.” (see fn 12)As an example of this, when Jesus speaks of prayer he tells us:  “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”(see fn 13)

  

As we prepare to enter the Great Fast, let us take time to examine the purity of our motives: are we seeking first the Kingdom of God and his way of holiness over us,(see fn 14) or are we trying to gain the world and its recognition instead? (see fn 15)

As we approach the Holy Table today to partake of the Precious Body and Life-giving Blood of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ – Christ truly present in our midst – let us pray for a spirit of humility and repentance in order to stand before our Loving Father and examine our relationship with Him with intellectual honesty.  Let us approach the Great Fast with a true desire to enter more deeply into relationship with our Lord so that we, too, can share fully in the joy of the Resurrection; to accept our rightful place as children of God (see fn 16) and to see in ourselves Him as He is. (see fn 17)

Glory to Jesus Christ!                            Slava Isusu Christu!

¹Cf. William Barclay The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. I.  The New Daily Bible Study series, (Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Kentucky, 2001): 255. 

²Matt. 5:8. 

³See Gregory of Nyssa, Sermon No. 1, On the Beatitudes.  Taken from Ancient Christian Writers: The Works of the Fathers in Translation, Vol. 18, ed. Johannes Quasten and Joseph C. Plumpe, Transl. by Hilda C. Graef, (Paulist Press, New York, 1954): 88. 

⁴Phil. 2:6-7. 

⁵See Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev, The Forgotten Medicine: The Mystery of Repentance, (St. Xenia Skete Press, Wildwood, California, 1994). 

⁶Matt. 25:40. 

⁷See Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, (Image Books / Doubleday, New York, 1992): 119-133. See also Luke 6:36: “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.”   

⁸St. John Chrysostom, “Gospel of Matthew: Homily 19.7.” Taken from Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Vol. 1a, “Matthew 1-13,” Manlo Simonetti, ed., Thomas C. Oden, gen.ed., (Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 2001): 139.   

⁹Cf. Barclay: 256. 

¹⁰Mark 9:35. 

¹¹“Ad majorem Dei gloriam;” motto of the Society of Jesus. 

¹²Matt. 6:21. 

¹³Matt. 6:6. 

¹⁴Cf. Matt. 6:33. 

¹⁵Cf. Matt. 16:26. 

¹⁶See John 1:12 and 1 John 3:1.  

¹⁷1 John 3:2.  See also Gregory of Nyssa, Sermon No. 6, On the Beatitudes: 148-150. “Even though you are too weak to perceive the Light Itself, yet, if you but return to the grace of the Image with which you were formed from the beginning, you will have all you seek in yourselves.”

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