130. Second Friday of Easter
Meditations no. 176 (unofficial computer-aided translation)
Having a close relationship with Christ
For our prayer today we can use the words of a meditation our Father gave to some brothers of ours in 1962. Abiit Iesus trans mare Galileaeā¦ Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. The first consideration, my children, is to examine why we have followed Christ, and why we are with him, sitting down with him with intimate familiarity, with the delightful duty of constantly getting to know him better.
These people the Gospel tells us about, followed Jesus because they had seen miracles: the cures he did. Why do you and I follow him? Each one of us has to pose himself this question and find a sincere answer. And once you have asked yourself and replied, in the presence of God, you should burst out in thanksgiving, because to be with Christ is to find security. Being able to look at yourself in Christ enables you to be better every day. To get to know Christ necessarily leads you to love him. And to love Christ is to assure your happiness -eternal happiness, the fullness of love, with the beatific vision of the Most Holy Trinityā¦
Meditate on your own, my son. Why are you with Christ in Opus Dei? When did you first feel attracted by him? Why? How have you responded from then until now? Consider how our Lord in his affection has brought you to the heart and centre of the Work, to be close to him, to have a yet closer relationship with him.
And how have you responded? What have you personally contributed so as not to lose that intimacy with Christ, and so that your brothers do not lose it either? What have you been concerned about since you took on all those commitments? About yourself, or about the glory of God? About yourself, or about others? About yourself, your own things, your silly little things, your wretchedness, your flashes of pride, your occasions of sensuality? What do you spend your time thinking about? Meditate on this, and then let your heart act on your will and your mind.
Isnāt it true that what Christ has done for you, my son, is much more than curing the sick? Has he not restored sight to our eyes, which were blind to the contemplation of his marvellous works? Has he not given strength to our limbs, which were not able to move in a supernatural way? Has he not perhaps raised us as he raised Lazarus because we were dead to Godās life? Is it not fitting then that we should proclaim out loud: Laetare, Ierusalem! (Rejoice, Jerusalem!) Is it not fitting then that I should say to you: Gaudete cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis: rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her!
We have to thank our Lord, in this first point, for the unmerited prize of our vocation. And we promise to cherish it more every day, guarding it as the most precious jewel our Father God could have ever given us.
Trust in Christ, who always supplies our needs.
It was nearly the time of the Jewsā great feast, the paschal feast. And now, lifting up his eyes and seeing that a great multitude had gathered around himā¦ Look at that multitude, I insist. Our Lordās eyes and heart behold the people, all mankind without exception. The lesson that we cannot be intransigent with people has not escaped us. Intransigent in doctrine, certainly, but with people never, never! If we behave like that we will necessarily be light and salt -for that is our vocation - but amongst the multitude.
From time to time we retire to the boat, or withdraw to a hillside, as Jesus used to do. But the normal thing is to live and work among people as just one of themselves.
Then Jesus said to Philip, Whence are we to buy bread for these folk to eat? In saying this, he was putting him to the test; he himself knew well enough what he meant to do. Throughout the history of the Work I have often thought that God has foreseen everything from all eternity but that, on the other hand, he leaves us entirely free. On some occasions our Lord seems to tempt us, to test our faith. But Jesus does not abandon us. If we stand firm he is ready to work miracles, to multiply the bread, to change menās attitudes, to shed light on darkened minds, to make it possible - through special graces - for individuals who had never been capable of living uprightly to begin to do so.
What trust this must inspire in us, my children! I would like this to be the second point. I wanted you to consider first of all that we are in the Work, at Christās side, not cutting ourselves off, but rather offering ourselves to the multitude - first to your brothers, and afterwards to the rest Then we have to consider that we should not be over-concerned about the things we lack, because the Lord will come to our aid. If we feel at times the ātentans eumā -the testing - the holy Gospel talks about, we mustnāt get worried, because it only means that God our Lord is playing with us. I am convinced that he overlooks our wretchedness, because he knows we are weak, because he knows our love, our faith and our hope. L sum all this up in one word: trust. But it must be a trust which, because it is based on Christ, is an urgent prayer before God. Being heartfelt it will be well received, all the more so if it is presented to the Most Holy Trinity by the hands of our Mother, who is the Mother of God.
A sense of responsibility: for we are in the boat. With Christ, the boat will not sink. With Christ! A sense of responsibility for ourselves, for our life, for our behaviour, for the way we ask for such divine things. Then the means will never be lacking. We shall have whatever is required to sustain our apostolate down the ages, providing everyone with nourishment, multiplying the bread.
That must be the second consideration: a sense of responsibility. That is why each one of us should say sorry to our Lord for all the foolish things we have done. We say sorry with an effective purpose of amendment We give thanks, and do so with faith, with the conviction that, happen what may, in the end the fruits will ripen. A sense of responsibility, and great trust in this Lord who is our
Father, who is Wisdom and Loveā¦ Iāll keep quiet now; you carry on by yourselves for a few minutes.
Responding generously to our Lordās loving care
I have told you so often, my children, and you will have repeated it just as often, that God our Lord, in his most loving providence and in the kindness he shows to all men - deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum, his delight is to be with the children of men - has wished to make us in some way co-redeemers with hint. That is why, in order to help you to understand this wonderful fact, he makes the Evangelist describe this great miracle in such detail. He could produce bread from wherever he wanted, for I own already every wild beast in the forest, the hills are mine and the herds that people them. There is no bird flies in heaven, no life stirs in the countryside, but I know of itā¦ , I am master of earth and all that earth contains. And yet, he seeks manās cooperation.
One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peterās brother, said to him, There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many? He needs a child, a boy, a few bits of bread and some fish. He needs you and me, my child - and he is God! This must move us to be generous in the way we respond. He does not need any of us, and at the same time he needs us all. What a marvellous thing this is! He is asking us for the little we are, the little we are worth, for our few talents. We cannot hold back from him the two fishes, the bread - or anything.
Each of us should now ask himself: How have I used my senses until now? How have I used my faculties: my memory, my intellect, my will? This question alone could lead to hours of meditation. What should we do from now on with all our being? Yes indeed, many, many things that havenāt gone well, or that arenāt going well, must surely come to mind. Do you desire to rectify, to purify, to seek mortification, to draw closer to God, to grow in piety, without any theatrical gestures or external display, but naturally? Because all this is how to increase our effectiveness, the effectiveness of the Work - of which we form a part - in our own souls and in the souls of all mankind. If you stop to examine the most recent events of your life it will be easier for you to consider what I have been commenting on aloud, on your behalf and my own.
Then Jesus said, Make the men sit down. The disciples knew Jesus wanted to feed the people, but they had no money: Two hundred silver pieces would not buy enough bread for them, even to give each a little. As for money, they had none at all, and they would have needed to spend a real fortune to feed that multitude. But our Lord provided the solution: Make the men sit down. There was no lack of grass where they were; so that the men sat down, about five thousand in number. No less than five thousand! They hear our Lordās voice and they all obey, every single one of them, beginning with the disciples.
How poorly people obey at times nowadays!ā¦ What a pity! They have to question everything. Even in a life that has been given to God, for some people everything is a matter for discussion: whether a superior may command this or that, whether he may command here or thereā¦ In Opus Dei we know we can be asked to do anything, with the greatest respect for the personal freedom we have in political and professional matters, as long as it doesnāt offend God.
But observe how those peopleās obedience bore fruit A miracle was wrought Jesus worked an amazing miracle. And in the Work he does it so often! Sometimes by ordinary providence; others, by extraordinary providence. God is willing, the only requisite is that we obey, that we force the Lordās hand by seeking to have a lot of faith in him. It is then that he really performs. It is then that he does things in which it is obvious that he is there, at work himself. It is then that he does what he alone can do, as in this case.
And Jesus took the loaves, and gave thanks, and distributed them to the company, and a share of the fishes too, as much as they had a mind for. Just like that, generously. What are you asking me for: two or three? He gives four, six, a hundred. Why? Because Christ looks upon events wisely, and being almighty he can and does go much further than we do ā¦
Then when they had all had enough he told his disciples, āGather up the broken pieces that are left over, so that nothing may be wasted.ā And when they gathered them up they filled twelve baskets with the broken pieces left over by those who had eaten. You may remember, for it is well known, the way a good preacher comments on this part of the Gospel. Why do they gather up the left-overs? Why? So that with those twelve large baskets full of spare pieces of bread we may all eat now and be nourished by faith. Nourished by faith in Christ who is capable of doing everything superabundantly, for the love he has for mankind, for the love he has for the Church, for the desire he has to redeem and save all people. Lord, may many baskets be left over right now! Be generous! Let people see that it is You!
When they saw the miracle Jesus had done, these men began to say, Beyond doubt this is the prophet who is to come into the world. They wanted to carry him off and make him king. Donāt you remember? We have already acknowledged him as our King ever since the seed of faith was sown in our hearts. Afterwards, when he called us, we enthroned him again.
Perfect God! If these men become all enthusiastic because of a bit of bread - even though it was a great miracle - and acclaim you to such an extent that you have to hide, what should we do after everything you have given us all these years in the Work? ā¦
Lord, we ask you not to hide from us, to live with us always. May we see you, touch you and hear you. We want to be always by your side, in the boat, full of faith, confidently and with a sense of responsibility, observing the multitudes, ut salvi fiant, that all may be saved.