60. Friday after the Epiphany
Meditations no. 54 (unofficial computer-aided translation)
God is our Father: his love is boundless and free.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him, and become his children.
Divine filiation is a mysterious reality that exceeds all the marvels our imagination could dream of, all the longings our poor heart of flesh could harbour. Raised to the order of grace, we have been incorporated into Godâs family, and made members of his own lineage, sharers in the divine nature. What nobler titles could there be to express the dignity of our new condition, now that we have been adopted by God as his own children?
And yet, although this adoption is so marvellous, there is something about this mystery that leaves us even more astonished, so that we can only wonder and adore in silence, knowing that our understanding cannot comprehend it. It is the extent of Godâs charity: the infinite, fatherly love which he has for each of us. Without any merit or claim on our part, we are turned from mere creatures into his own children.
Only by looking at Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, who became incarnate out of love for us, will we learn a bit more about what is in the heart of a God who humbles himself, discarding all manifestations of his power and majesty to take the form of a servant. Speaking in human terms, we could say that God outdoes himself, because he goes much further than he need in order to save us. The only way to measure what he does is to say that it cannot be measured; it comes from a madness of love which leads him to take on our flesh and bear the weight of our sins.
Can we realize that God loves us and not be overcome with love ourselves? We must let these truths of faith fill our soul until they change our life. God loves us! The Almighty who made heaven and earth!
Godâs limitless love, that tenderness of his which goes beyond anything the human heart could conceive, is not a response on his part to whatever poor affection we are able to show him. Godâs charity precedes our love. God has loved us first, as a father here on earth loves his small child before that child is even aware of his love. In this is love, writes St John, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.
Because we are His children, our offences cause him particular hurt: we need to make reparation.
The knowledge that we are loved infinitely by God is the good news that lights up our lives and gives them new colour and depth. God our Father loves us and wants us to know the truth of his Love, to have faith in him. Our whole life, the divine history of our way on earth, is a constant proof and testimony of his fatherly love for his beloved children. There can be no doubt about it. We too can proclaim with St John: we know and believe the love God has for us. Faced with a love so great, we may well feel overwhelmed: To realize that you love me so much, my God, and yet I havenât lost my mind!
We are Godâs children and our Father loves us with an infinite, tender love that none can equal. But Godâs love, like human love, asks for a response: it is repaid with love. The infidelities of someone dearly loved, the cold indifference of a child, make a fatherâs heart suffer much more than any affront from a mere stranger. From us, his beloved children, God is looking for a filial, loving response; for faithful, generous affection. And our lack of love, our ingratitude, wounds Godâs heart more deeply, since the offence comes from such a dearly beloved child.
Wake up! Listen to what the Holy Spirit tells you: Si inimicus meus maledixisset mihi, sustinuissem utique. If it were an enemy who insulted me, I could put up with that. But you⌠tu vero homo unanimis, dux meus, et notus meus, qui simul mecum dulces capiebas cibos: you, my friend, my apostle, who sit at my table and take sweet food with me!
Our lack of love wounds Godâs heart all the more, precisely because it comes from children he loves so well. What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? What more could God have done for us? What has he not done to seek our love? And yet he laments sorrowfully: When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
Our sorrow, which springs from love, should be expressed in frequent acts of contrition.
Our insensitivity and our ingratitude make God suffer, although perhaps we donât realize it because of our callousness. We have many reasons to repent, to weep, and to be sorry, with the sorrow proper to children - that is, the sorrow that springs from love. Sorrow of Love - because he is good; because he is your Friend, who gave his life for you; because everything good you have is his; because you have offended him so much⌠because he has forgiven you. He! Forgiven you!
Weep, my child, with Love-sorrow. The more we consider our divine filiation, the deeper and more intense will our sorrow for our sins be.
We have received so much from God that we really would like to be contrite and sorry for having failed so often to be good children. We resolve now to keep renewing our sorrow in the way our Father invites us: I have often told you that the best devotion is to make acts of contrition, and that I am always returning like the prodigal son. We donât have to drag a trail of wretchedness behind us; we should place everything in Godâs hands and tell him along with St Peter after his denials, with true humility: Domine, tu omnia nosti: tu scis quia amo te! Lord, you know that I love you in spite of my weaknesses. Thus our wretchedness doesnât separate us from God. Rather it brings us to him, just as a child who has fallen down runs to his mother, shouting: Mummy! Or if he is a bit older, he runs to his father, whose arms are stronger⌠If we have made a mistake, small or big, letâs run to God! Cor contritum et humiliatum, Deus, non despicies; God will not disdain a contrite and humble heart.
We should make many acts of sorrow, at any time, but especially at the close of the day, when we come to our examination of conscience each night. Always end your examination of conscience with an act of Love -of Love-sorrow: for yourself, for all the sins of men. And consider the fatherly care of God in removing the obstacles in your way lest you stumble.
With the help of our Ladyâs intercession, we ask God the Father for the grace to feel deep sorrow for our faults and a great desire to make up for them, so that the grace we receive through sacramental Communion may more effectively form in us the likeness of the Lord whom we receive.