Living the Mystery of Love entails surrendering our hearts to the
Heart of God’s designs in not less than everything. We experience
this through experiencing what no books or words can ever say. For
the Spirit-filled Word sent by our Father instructs our hearts, just
as He was the constant focus of the Virgin Mother Mary’s heart, in
which He briefly took up his lodging and which became his
Tabernacle. In this regard we can apply the word of the psalmist to
all Christian hearts, not only, as the Fathers of the Church did, to
her – although she is the paradigm or model par excellence of our
lives: “He has set a tent for the sun, / which comes forth like a
bridegroom leaving his chamber” (Ps 18:4-5).
This is what God’s design is for every person! It is the design
expressed by our Saviour-Lord’s desire – desidero desideravi! – to
share his Passover Love in our hearts’ interior Cenacle. From here
He sends us forth, although we never cease to be contemplatives to
carry on his mission of evangelizing, that is, bringing the radiant
joy of hope to a sin-darkened, pride-dominated and self-centered
world. Our missionary zeal has nothing to do with proselytizing!
Rather, we are impelled, like the Virgin Mary, to carry the Good
News of Christ to all those in need of being served, those needing
the witness of practical charity. In experiencing this they are
restored in hope about Christian brotherhood and also gently drawn
into our living Eucharistic life of praising God, our living
Magnificat (cf. Lk 1:39ff.). Our whole lives thus become a
Christ-mass. That is, while going forth in the Church’s missionary
dynamism of charity, we can never not turn lovingly and gratefully
towards Him and through Him towards the Father, as He does (cf. Jn
1:1-2), for the Gift of the Spirit. In this way, although we go into
the darkened world, we always remain in the light – the Light of
God’s Heart of Love. For the Father’s unique Word invites us to walk
and remain in his light-giving love (cf. Jn 8:12; 12:35f.; 15:1ff.).
This is the meaning of what it is to be in the world, but not of the
world. What this implies surpasses any moralism that lays emphasis
on our efforts or endeavors no matter how lowly or lofty. But we can
truly take genuine pride in the mysticism to which we are called –
the way of becoming genuinely responsible and taking responsibility
for our lives, which are nothing other than our hearts’ response to
the reality of the initiative of God and his sustaining grace
through everything we do. This “little way” bespeaks the highest
kind of spirituality known and practiced by the greatest saints,
like Bernard or Francis or Thérèse of the Child Jesus, who simply
followed Jesus’ via Crucis to the heights of his surrender to the
design of the Father’s love for the world. As Pope John Paul II
recalled in his homily at Midnight Mass 2002:
“The historical event which we are experiencing in mystery is the
‘way’ given to us as a means of encountering the glorious Christ. By
his Incarnation Jesus teaches us, as the Apostle observes, ‘to
reject godless ways and worldly desires, and live temperately,
justly and devoutly in this age as we await our blessed hope’ (Tit
2:12-13).
O Birth of the Lord, you have inspired
Saints of every age! I think, among others, of Saint Bernard and his
spiritual ecstasy before the touching scene of the Crib. I think of
Saint Francis of Assisi, the inspired creator of the first live
depiction of the mystery of Christmas night. I think of Saint
Theresa of the Child Jesus, who by her ‘little way’ suggested anew
to the proud modern mind the true spirit of Christmas.”
In his lowering himself to our condition by his redemptive
Incarnation, the Lord Jesus raises us to participate in the height
of his humility of love. This ‘height’ is symbolized or rather
sacramentally expressed in the Mass, his Eucharistic paschal
sacramental sacrifice. This comes about as we respond to the call to
lift up our hearts – Sursum corda! Our response is realized in the
twofold manner of entering into spiritual communion with the Risen
Saviour-Lord’s Paschal Mystery: as we look up adoringly at the Host
and Chalice elevated after recalling our Saviour-Lord’s own words of
covenanting and pledging himself to humankind in his sacrificial
total Gift of himself, his Nuptial Gift to the Church, and also as
we look up acknowledge with our ‘Amen’ the same mystical Gift
presented to be received and adored by us. Here again we notice that
all the fullness of God’s awesome action of giving love and his
movement of drawing us into his loving Heart are entirely from his
part, from the pierced Side of his beloved Son! Indeed, did He not
assure us: “I being lifted up from the earth will draw all to
myself”! (Jn 12:32)
But, lest we feel left out, the great humility of God’s love,
nevertheless, desires to include us, to give value to our response.
The Fathers of the Church thus spoke of the “wonderful exchange” (‘admirabile
commercium’) between God and humankind. So, what is our part – our
‘participation’, as we like to say now? It is nothing other than
that of responding (it can’t be sufficiently emphasized!) to the
compelling, terribly irresistible Beauty of Him who is pure
unadulterated, disinterested Love. He has nothing, after all, to
gain from us or our paltry response; yet, we have everything to gain
by this. Oh! If only we could appreciate the Gift of God – ‘si
scires donum Dei’ (Jn 4:10)! It is the Spirit of the Father drawing
us to respond to our Saviour-Lord’s invitation to believe in the
transforming gentle power of divine Love (cf. 1 Jn 4:16). St
Peter-Julian Eymard came to realize the vitalizing importance of
this and emphasized it in the last sermon he preached:
“We believe in the love of God for us. To believe in love is
everything. It is not enough to believe in the Truth. We must
believe in Love and Love is our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. That
is the faith that makes our Lord loved. Ask for this pure and simple
faith in the Eucharist. Men will teach you; but only Jesus will give
you the grace to believe in Him. You have the Eucharist. What more
do you want?”
Our Saviour-Lord’s invitation is addressed to our lives burdened (as
Martha’s was) with the chores of many things that distract and make
us world-weary. The Father’s Spirit enables us to recognize Him who
calls us, to perceive the tonality of the Beautiful Shepherd
standing at the gate: “Come, come to me…” (cf. Jn 6:44; Mt 11:28;
cf. also Rv 3:20). So, come, let us go to the House of Bread,
Bethlehem; come let us go willingly, joyously, freely to adore Him,
our Way to the Truth of Love in all our endeavors!
What a wonderful mystery this is! By sharing in the vital impetus
that is both the dynamic and peace of participating in the Reality
of our Saviour-Lord’s pierced Heart open to show us God is purely
Love (cf. 1 Jn 4:16), in this way – and in no other! - we come to
experience and appreciate what it is to live the Mystery of Love.
