(St. Francis Xavier Hyannis, MA) |
“No wonder Angels frown. Jesus Christ so loved man
that He died for him; and ‘greater love than this no man has!’ Ah, Jesus Christ
is God and he has a greater love for man than man’s love. He gave man’s proof
of love by dying; He gives God’s proof by living. Jesus Christ died; He arose
from the dead; He ascended into heaven; and yet, He would not leave the earth!
No. He loves man too much! He must be near man. That is love’s way. Nearness is
not enough; love craves union! So Jesus Christ became Food and Drink that He
might live in man and man might live in Him. The Divine Beggar has beggared
Himself. More, He cannot do…
Christmas night rocked Heaven. Angels were aghast at
the Incarnation. But Holy Thursday night struck them dumb. That God should
become a Babe in swaddling clothes was cause for overwhelming surprise; but
that God should bury Himself in Bread and become the very Food of man dazzled
and stupefied the nine choirs of Heaven’s court. And yet, great as was God’s
action, they were not completely bewildered by it. No! It took man’s reaction
to do that! Heaven was not completely bewildered until it saw man’s coldness to
God’s condescension.
Bethlehem closed doors – but Bethlehem
did not really know who Joseph was or whom Mary tabernacled. Roman soldiers scourged
Christ and hammered Him to a Cross while High priests howled and frenzied Jews
mocked; but none of these fully understood what they did or who He was. But
you! – you have made profession after profession of your belief. You say that
you know that God is on your altars; that He is there with His Body and His
Blood, His soul and divinity under the guise of Bread and the appearances of
Wine. You proclaim to believe that God is Emmanuel – God with us – yet, you leave
Him alone!...
[Seraphim] do not understand men and women and even
growing children who say that they want life and love, and then deliberately
neglect the only Food and Drink that will give them life and love, preserve
them in life and love, and augment their lives and their loves! Heaven cannot
understand your neglect of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Can you?”
(From A Trappist
Asks Do You Want Life and Love? By a Trappist author)
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