As we begin this new year, I would like for us to take some time to meditate and reflect on the Lord‘s love for us, especially His love shown for us on the Cross. Hence, if you take a moment and step back, the scene of the Crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ gives us several different types of characters in the story of salvation and redemption:
- The first group consisted of the leaders and accusers who were full of their own self-justification. As we have often seen in history, those who are in power have no problem finding a scapegoat for their problems and silencing those who oppose them. They think they are the only ones who are right because they are holier or more perfect, or just because they are in control, by condemning others rather than looking for their need for salvation.
- The standing crowd — including the unrepented thief — who simply stood by to witness everything, either through their silence or by joining the herd, condemned the King of the Universe, too.
- The repented thief, to which Holy Tradition gave us a name — St. Dismas. He is venerated by the Church from the beginning of time because of his sincere repentance and genuine conversion. He chose to trust the King of the Universe rather than be silent with the rest of the crowd.
- Jesus Christ, who is the King who has nothing in earthly powers. However, He chose to take everything that people gave to Him. He was stripped of everything — even His clothes — no more dignity, power, or influence — nothing He had was of any humanistic values! Everything was stripped away except for love.
The Savior of the world endured everything for our sake. He allowed Himself to go through a shameful death so we can understand that our Lord loves us so much that He was willing to go through extreme humility to embrace our sinfulness, even to the point of shedding His blood to die for us. Therefore, we are reminded that our salvation did not come cheap! It was paid for by the cruel afflictions and humiliated death of our Savior. We were redeemed by the King of the Universe, who has all the power to do anything He liked but chose to die for us out of love.
From this very episode of salvation history, we can reflect and see which characters we are in light of Christ‘s ultimate act of love!
Are we the people who are still living with our self-pities, worrying about what we do not have and comparing ourselves with people who have it all? Are we full of self-righteousness that we only care about condemning others’ mistakes or even willing to hurt others so as to take away the focus of our petty and miserable lives?
One of the local pastors recently shared this thought-provoking post on Facebook: “Most people are miserable in life because of the one person or thing until we realize that one thing or person is often ourselves.” We are often the cause of our miseries. Therefore, it is important to turn to Christ Jesus and learn how to love what has been given to us out of grace instead of simply standing by, living our lives as we like, filled with self-hatred and condemnatory judgment toward others because we dislike who we are. Perhaps to the extreme example, but we should not be like the unrepented thief who was so full of himself, his bitterness and despair, even until the last moment of life. The time to change our lives is not some time in the future; it is now! St. Angela Merici‘s deathbed counsel reminded us of this reality when she said, “Whatever you would wish at your dying bed to have time in health, that do now while you may.”
St. Dismas repented and was granted Paradise that day! The Lord looked beyond what he had done and saw his genuine repentance. The thief turned to the condemned King and asked for something outrageous… and it was given to him! He literally got the grandest prize without stealing; he was just being sincere. There was no more need for hustling and bustling for materialistic goods, just genuine love and the Kingdom of God for eternity!
The Lord Jesus Christ is forgiving if we just turn to Him. He was willing to be stripped of everything so that His love for us is the only thing that shows, and our love for Him is the only thing that is important. He desires humility because He humbled Himself. He wants us to be genuine because He allowed Himself to be stripped of every earthly good and riches that would make Him even resemble human royalty. He seeks conversion of heart because He still forgave sin until the last moment for the one who recognized His need for salvation.
Many people live their whole lives having so much but never think they have enough because they are not happy. They have allowed themselves to think and their whole lives to be dictated by the “more” attitude, hence allowing themselves to always be downcast by their own unhappiness. The Lord had little, known and lived with the poor man’s job of carpentry, but He has everything. Therefore, He reminds us that His kingdom and kingship are not of this earth’s qualities and desires. It is based on the quantity of one’s love, genuine conversion, and desire for simplicity! The Eternal Lover only wants self-giving, humble, genuine, transparent, and intimate love from us — as He to us. This is how we bring people to Christ and not let our natural up and down messes make us think that life is not worth living. There is another great, thoughtful post that I recently found on social media that I would like to share with you as we wrap up this reflection: “Do not let people pull you into their storms, but bring them to peace in Christ Jesus.”
I would like to end this reflection short so you can have some time to reflect on these two questions: Which characters are you in the story? Which ones would you like to be? I hope you spend the time to contemplate, reflect, and pray on it. I will leave you with a short poem that the Archbishop Fulton Sheen once shared in one of his homilies:
Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
Had no army, yet kings feared Him.He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
It is truly our honor to serve such a Leader who loves us!
I’d rather live as if God exists and die to find out He doesn’t,
than to live as if there is no God and die to find out He does.
Because life is but a moment in the realm of all eternity, and
I’d rather live with Him in paradise than burn in hell forever.
I Thirst (John 19:28) with Father Khoi 