5th Week of Lent 2022 - Tuesday - Listen to his love

 The Israelites in the desert had taken their eyes off of what God was doing for them, and allowed the poison of ingratitude fill their hearts.  God was freeing them from slavery and leading them to the promised land, but their complaints and hardness of hearts allowed poisonous and deadly ingratitude to direct their thoughts, words, and actions. The deadly poison of the Saraph Serpants was a symbol of the even deadlier poison of sin that reigned in them. The brush with death, like for many people, became a wake up call, they realized they sinned and repented. God provided a remedy for the poisonous snake bites but instructing Moses to place the bronze serpent on the pole. All who looked at it would live.

In the Gospel, the Pharisees allowed the poison of pride to fill their hearts. Failing to recognize that Jesus was truly the Son of God, Jesus told the Pharisees that they would die in their sins unless they looked upon him and believed that he was God.  

In these dark times, many have allowed sinful pride and sinful gratitude to dominate their lives. Man Catholics even have stopped looking to the Crucified for life. Many Catholics do not have crucifixes in their homes, they do not go to Church, and worse, they believe there’s nothing wrong. But, it is the task of faithful Christians to hold him up for the world to see—in our speech, in our behaviors, and in our prayers, that they may see him and believe.

The great lover of the Crucified, St. Paul of the Cross, would often go from parish to parish, preaching parish missions.  When he would preach these missions, he would often hold out to the congregation a crucifix, and simply holding the crucifix out for all to see, he would say, “listen to his love.”

He said, "When you are alone in your room, take your crucifix, kiss its five wounds reverently, tell it to preach to you a little sermon, and then listen to the words of eternal life that it speaks to your heart; listen to the pleading of the thorns, the nails, the precious Blood. Oh, what an eloquent sermon!"

Look at the hands of Jesus, always open during life, still open, still giving, healing to the last drop of blood. Look at the feet of Jesus, which climbed the mountain of Calvary, now lifted up and nailed to the cross for our salvation. Look at the side of Jesus from which flowed the blood and water, the fountain of the sacramental life of the Church

If you know of any Catholics who have stopped looking to Jesus, bring them to Mass with you on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Help them to listen to his love, to see that he reaches out to them from the cross with tremendous love. We are to help them embrace Him, as he longs to bring them mercy, strength, and peace, as he has for us.  As we near Holy Week, may each of us keep his tremendous outpouring of love ever before our eyes, in our mind, and in our hearts, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity. 

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.