Lost in Jesus

Today I want to share with you my contemplation after communing with my Lover at Mass. I was thinking about how far God goes to attract us to Himself. He is God, the great and almighty Creator and Perfect One. We are the created ones who have fallen so far from what He created us to be. He is crazy-in-love with us. How embarrassing to realize what He has done to make us love Him! We are distracted from Him in so many ways. We fall in love with beautiful people. We wrongly worship human beings. So what does he do? He becomes a human being that is ok to worship! A handsome and charismatic human being Who CAN be-- no!... MUST be worshipped! How satisfying it is to me to be able to WORSHIP A HUMAN BEING!!!! Thank you Father for giving me JESUS, Your Son!

God does not stop here. Oh no!!! People are not satisfied with merely worshiping human beings. We also must worship objects. So what does Jesus do? He becomes an object!--- An Object that can be--- no, MUST BE worshiped!!!!!! How satisfying it is to me to be able to WORSHIP AN OBJECT!!!! Thank You, Jesus, for making Yourself into the Host that I can see and must adore!

And we do not stop at just worshiping people and objects. We need to satisfy our appetites. We love food. We worship it even, making our whole day revolve around our meals, contemplating what we are

going to sink our teeth into today. Some of us plan our days around that "happy hour" we plan to spend at the bar later on. So what does God do? He becomes food for us to worship; wine for us to adore!!!!! Oh Jesus, my Jesus!!!! You think of everything!!!! How satisfying it is to me to be able to worship my Food and Drink!!!! Thank You, Jesus, Bread of Heaven, having all sweetness within It!

I do not expect that everyone will be able to understand or relate to what I am saying today but I do know that the Catholics among you know and experience what I am talking about.

We are physical beings and long for physical love. Jesus is there for us every day with His Holy Kiss at Mass. He makes love to us in an embrace which is closer than husband and wife in Holy Communion. How satisfying to have God come into me every day through the Holy Eucharist!!!! Thank You, Jesus, Lover of my soul!!!!

A Dinner Party (part two): The Guests of Honor

People are crowding into the home of Joseph of Arimathea. Many are milling around, trying to find a seat and hoping to get one at or near the head table which is set up festively and garnished with a sumptuous repast. The lawyers are beginning to seat their wives around this table before anyone else occupies it. Jesus, however, has taken a seat in an obscure corner of the great room with His apostles around Him, as well as His Mother and Mary and Martha. They are among the invited guests, who also include many pharisees and lawyers.

Jesus surveys the party and addresses the situation saying, "My friends, when you go to a wedding feast, never look for the places of honor to sit. Someone else more important than you may come and displace you at the table. Sit in the lowly spots and be happy that you have been invited! Think how you would feel if your host should have to ask you to move. Would it not be better that you be invited to a place of greater honor that one of humiliation?"

Now as he is speaking, His own host, Joseph is busy directing the servants of his household to reset the tables. The table he had intended for Jesus and His family has been occupied by others. Bowls of fruit and platters of meat are being removed from the table and a cloth is being spread over the table Jesus has claimed. I am impressed with the grace and ease with which this transformation takes place. There is no sign of irritation are annoyance on Joseph's part, nor on the part of his servants.

It is a rather humorous sight to see the lawyers and pharisees in their fancy garb caught off guard by this affair as their grand buffet turns into a bare wooden board, while the corner table, which seats the most humble-looking guests in the room, becomes the focal point. Joseph and his daughter sit down with Jesus as the servants stand ready to assist the guests.

Jesus turns to Joseph, sitting beside Him, and warns him: "Don't invite your rich friends and relatives to your dinner parties, good Joseph. You see these guests here are most likely to invite you to their houses in return. The next time you must invite the poor, the lame, the unfortunate ones-- those who will never be able to repay you. In this way you will be blessed! You will certainly be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous."

Joseph listens intently to his young Master's instructions. What a curious spectacle! Here is this old and wise-looking prominent leader of the pharisees pensively looking into the face of Jesus with overwhelming respect almost like an adoring child looking into the eyes of his father. Yet Jesus' tone is in no way condescending but instead has the feel of a message being passed on from one beloved friend to another.