Total Consecration 2014: Day 16

Readings:
Genesis 1: 27
Genesis 2: 18-25

from Pope St. John Paul II:
General Audience (Theology of the Body), November 14, 1979
General Audience (Theology of the Body), January 16, 1980

Reflection:
I just got back from a Holy Hour at my parish that also involved some time for Lectio Divina on yesterday's Gospel, which is where Jesus was talking about separating the sheep and goats in Matthew 25. He says that the sheep, or the righteous, will inherit eternal life because they took care of the least of their brothers and in doing so, they took care of Jesus.

In our sharing of what stood out to us from spending time before the Blessed Sacrament and encountering Him in the Word, we talked about recognizing the dignity of others when we show mercy towards them.

Which leads me to today's readings for preparation.

I am made in God's image. My human dignity comes from the very fact that I am made in His image. And I know that's important in the way that we view others because my fellow brothers and sisters in humanity also are made in His image. And as such, I owe them respect. Love. Not just any love, but love as a gift of self in a self-sacrificial way. Feeding the hungry. Sheltering the homeless. Visiting the imprisoned. Healing the sick. And so on.

Being both body and  soul, my body has,  in Pope St. John Paul II's words, the "power to express love." I can use my body to offer my self in love for others by serving and taking care of them. By doing so, I, in a sense, am taking care of Jesus.

Yesterday, I visited my nursing home residents again. Even though I serve in the role of Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and offer them the Eucharist, Jesus Himself, I can't help but behold their own faces. I behold their faces because as I see them consume the Eucharist, it becomes incredibly real to me that I'm no longer looking at Annette, Vicky, Joe, Carlton, and Diane's faces. Rather, truly I'm looking at the face of Jesus! Through their reception of the Eucharist, they become one flesh with our Lord so for me to look at their face is really me looking at Jesus. Kind of blows my mind away, now that I think about it.

And what blessed opportunity that is! I want to blog more on this, but I oftentimes don't feel like going to visit my residents to bring the Eucharist to them. It takes a lot of effort, sacrifice, and dying of self for me to go. But! O the consolations I receive for actually choosing to go! What a gift it is to see their brightened faces when I visit them!

And they're grateful because I've offered my self as a gift to spend that time with them. To bring them Jesus. To pray with them. Whenever I'm done visiting with them, I'm often filled with a better sense of who I am as a person and how I'm called to love and serve others. Which brings to mind the words of Pope St. John Paul II when he says

Man cannot "fully find himself except through a sincere gift of self." (Gen. Aud., January 16, 1980)

Response:
Looking to Mary as a prime example of the gift of self, I shall turn my thoughts, desires, needs, preferences, pleasures towards the gift of self rather than towards myself. This is an area I very much struggle with.

Totus tuus,
- JD

Mother Teresa feeding child // Whole World Women

Total Consecration 2014: Day 10

Reading - Luke 15: 11-32

from Pope St. John Paul II - Dives in Misericordia, par. 6

Reflection:

Reading the parable of the Prodigal Son again reminded me of God's forgiveness and mercy.  He's always willing to love us, and He is overjoyed at our return back to Him. But, I think that in order for me to receive His forgiveness and mercy requires action on my part. As I've known before, the lost son squandered his father's money and spent it on life's pleasures. In the midst of that, he came to a moment of realization when feeding the swine while he himself is hungry that his father's servants were better taken care of than he himself in his present, poor situation. Realizing this, he resolves

I will arise and go to my father and say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven an before you; I am no longer worth to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants."

He takes action with an openness  to receive his father's forgiveness through acknowledging that he's done wrong.

And how was the prodigal one rewarded? Like overabundantly! His father said to the other son, who complained that his bro should receive such merriment and fanfare upon returning

It was fitting and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.

I know when I've gone astray, it usually feels good and fleeting if only for a moment. But then the burden of sin weighs down, and I feel lost. It's only when I recognize, in humility, that I've done wrong and make a conscious effort to return back to God do I feel His love and mercy. I cherish it more when I truly repent.

A son never ceases to be his father's son. No matter how much he screws up, he's still his father's son. And what great love the father in this parable must have for his son upon his return. What joy! Now that I'm thinking about it more, I wonder how overjoyed God must be whenever I turn back to Him.

Response:
I definitely have my areas of weakness, misery, and doubt. I'll ask for Mary's intercession in these areas to better receive God's love and mercy and to truly see Him as a loving father.

Totus tuus,
- JD  

I'm using Fr. Brian McMaster's Totus Tuus to prepare for Total Consecration. Get yours here on Amazon!

The Prodigal Son by Rembrandt // Wikipedia