The mystery of Christ's humanity

[markdohle]

The mystery of Christ’s humanity

(How do we meet Jesus when we travel with him during Holy Week?)

My daughter, My pleasure and delight, nothing will stop me

from granting you graces. Your misery does not hinder my mercy. My daughter, write that the greater the misery of a soul, the greater it’s right to My mercy; [urge] all souls to trust in the unfathomable abyss of My mercy, because I want to save them all. On the cross, the fountain of My mercy was opened wide by the lance for all souls – no one have I excluded! Sr. Faustina’s diary 1182

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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and was God” This is the beginning of the Gospel of John. The Word is not a human person, but the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Yet Christ is the Word…..so it starts with mystery. Now mystery is not something unknowable, but something infinitely knowable, something we grow into but never reach the total answer. In fact the more we know, can lead to understanding what the way of unknowing is all about.

How do we meet Jesus when we travel with him during Holy Week? Speaking for myself as a human being, I am fragmented, anxious, fearful, often confused and at times filled with doubt. Then there is failure and a tendency to move towards self absorption and inner chaos. So there is a lot for me to deal with.

People differ. Some are hardened by life, have thick skins and can be difficult to deal with because of issues of trust of others. This is understandable. I have some of this, I believe it is about being human in a world that is filled with danger, and surrounded by people who can consciously or unconsciously be cruel and manipulative, or worse, indifferent.

Christ is human, so is he anything like the above? In our everyday lives we can meet people who are very loving, trusting, healing and who do not allow their fears and anxious concerns to control them. I believe that people like that are more fully human and live from a place of healing that flows from the death to self that Jesus talked about.

When we look at our history, at our cultures, our cities, with the good and the bad, we are in fact seeing the inner struggle of most people. Our cities and towns, our cultural wars and conflicts are outer projections of our inner selves. It is not a pretty picture is it? Yet it is something we need to understand and embrace about our often struggling humanity…..it is called humility.

How can Infinite Mind communicate with minds that are finite? Through revelation of course, and in a way that we can understand and will deepen our trust in the revelator; which as Jesus tells is his Father. So he will use analogies and metaphors that we can identify with, but not completely. So for instances the parable about the Prodigal Son is one such story. It gives us a glimpse into the inner life of God, the Father. What is that inner life like? Well I believe chapter 13 of first Corinthians tells us in human terms about infinite love:

“Love is patient and kind; love ^does not envy or boast; it ^his not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ^{it does} not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Verses 4-6

The Parable and the quote from St. Paul gives us something to build off of. We need something solid in order to grow in love of trust of God, for there is much within us that can keep us chained and fearful, which will slow down our journey towards God. I would like to share something about St. Faustian and how she came to a deep love of God and his His mercy. For like Jacob she had to wrestle with God in order to grow and mature in love, for love cast out fear, we can’t love what we fear.

She had to face her fears deeply over and over again, going deeper into the horror of her false ideas about God’s justice and wrath. Even after Jesus brought her deeply into the mystery of His mercy, she still feared. So she had to face it. She did so by not believing her false ideas, combating them by making acts of trust, which was freely made by her. Until the time came when she out grew her fear and allowed God’s love to take total control over her. She followed the leading of grace into the dark night of her soul and in that she found interior freedom. She became through her trust, fearless.

Edited March 19, 2016 by markdohle