“He must increase; I must decrease.” (J 3:30) 

Ever since the beginning of my priesthood it has been my main concern: “He must increase, I must decrease”. Especially when you are so young and think that future of the world depends on you.

During the Holy Mass you are using His words for consecration, and because of the Sacrament of Priesthood your words make this miracle. How I should say these words, to represent only Him, to decrease, to disappear, to increase Him, not myself? The same with all the other sacraments. And in a very special way during the Sacrament of Reconciliation. How to show to people Him only, all His love and forgiveness, and compassion?

What a huge responsibility.

It helped me to remember Jesus’s solemn entry into Jerusalem, when He rode on a donkey. “Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others greenery which they had cut in the fields” (Mk 11:8). The donkey could think it was for him.

“We know that we belong to God… in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Children, be on your guard against idols.” (1 John 5:21)

“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean. Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I do will it’” (Lk 5:12-13)

Yesterday I spoke about His voice. Today He shows His love expressed by touch. It wasn’t just a touch. He touched a lepper, a man who was unclean, not-to-touch. He stretched out His hand and touched him. “And leprosy left him immediately.”

I come to Him to be touched, by Him, by His love. He does not mind my lack of perfection in almost all areas of my life. I am not gentle enough, nor respectful enough, my daily gift of self is far below the gifts I receive. But I know, after every meeting with Him, that when I ask Him for His touch, He does not only touch me, but also gives me a hug, but also holds me firmly in His arms.

Lord, touch me today with all your love and make me clean, please. This is not only for me. This is also for my sisters and brothers. To share with them what I have received from You. “That will be proof for them” (Lk 5:14).

“All … were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth” (Lk 4:22). 

I like to open the Gospel and not to read it, but to try to listen to Him. Not only to read His words, but also imagine how He was saying it. The Good News is not only about words and sentences He used, it is also about how He proclaimed them. He has come not to correct us, change us, repair us, make the-best-version-of-ourselves… He has come to tell us about how God loves us. “Through this revelation, therefore, the invisible God (see Col. 1;15, 1 Tim. 1:17) out of the abundance of His love speaks to men as friends (see Ex. 33:11; John 15:14-15) and lives among them (see Bar. 3:38), so that He may invite and take them into fellowship with Himself” (Dei Verbum 2).

“Out of the abundance of His love”.

I like to imagine how His words could sound. Put all your love into your words, into the way you are speaking, put all your love into your expression when you are saying it – and still it will be far away from the way He does this.

He has come to invite us and take us into a close relationship with Himself. And He has done so only out of love.

“God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son, so that all who believe in him may not perish, but may have eternal life” (J 3:16) – Communion Antiphon

Do I have “the mountain”? Where is my mountain? In my bedroom, office, favorite armchair or desk? Do I have a habit to go there frequently? He, “after the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied… went off to the mountain to pray” (Mk 6:45-46). Prayer is so natural for Him. Part of everything. Natural reaction to action. The foundation for all kind of activity.

We work hard, we are so tired, we need some rest, – and later, if we have enough strength, probably, we will pray. Have you ever tried to meet Him because you were tired? Have you prayed like this:

“Let me stay with You, Lord. I am so tired, because ‘the wind was against’ me. I have come to You empty, without any good or nice prayer. Just to be with You.” And maybe He will act as He did in today’s Gospel – “He got into the boat with them and the wind died down” (Mk 6:51).

Sometimes it is more important to be with Him without any word or spiritual activity. Just to be. Loving presence in silence is a prayer, too.

“…everyone who loves … knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 J 4:7-8)

Today’s world does not believe that God is love, but that love is a god. It is not a simple reversal of order. It is an absolutely different idea. God is a person. The only way to know him is to understand His true nature. And His true nature is love. Action follows being. God, who is love, loves. From love (noun) to love (verb). So “everyone who loves … knows God”.

Today’s readings remind me of the first encyclical letter of our beloved bl. John Paul II: “Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it. This, as has already been said, is why Christ the Redeemer “fully reveals man to himself”…. The man who wishes to understand himself thoroughly-and not just in accordance with immediate, partial, often superficial, and even illusory standards and measures of his being-he must with his unrest, uncertainty and even his weakness and sinfulness, with his life and death, draw near to Christ. He must, so to speak, enter into him with all his own self, he must “appropriate” and assimilate the whole of the reality of the Incarnation and Redemption in order to find himself. If this profound process takes place within him, he then bears fruit not only of adoration of God but also of deep wonder at himself. How precious must man be in the eyes of the Creator, if he “gained so great a Redeemer”, and if God “gave his only Son “in order that man “should not perish but have eternal life”” (RH 10).

“In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins” (1 J 4:10).

“…do  what pleases him” (1 J 3:22)

Preparing surprise for somebody gives us so much joy. Causing someone to smile is worth every effort. Think about what we do for our children waiting for the signs of The Wise Men midnight visit at our homes.

And, what’s more, we are able to do what pleases God himself. Our small hearts, our gestures full of weakness could please HIM!!! What a dignity we receive. Abyssus abyssum invocat (Latin) –  The depth is calling the depth. Our deep limitations can to reach incomprehensible God. 

Today we would like to visit Child Jesus with our gifts, like The Wise Man, and “do what pleases Him”. It could be a phone call to an old friend, it could be a small sign of liking to our neighbor, it could be several minutes with the Bible, or any other thing with this intention – to do what pleases Him. 

The Wise Kings “departed for their country by another way” (Mt 2:12). Probably we can expect that the same could happen to us: we could find another way back home – the way that He chose – “He went around all of Galilee …curing every disease and illness among the people” (Mt 4:23).

“Amen, I say to you: That you who left all and followed me will receive a hundredfold and posses eternal life” (Communion Antiphon)

“Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.” (Mt 2:11)

They offered Him gifts. The best they had: gold – for the King, frankincense – for God, myrrh – for His death on the cross. But gold could also symbolize our love, frankincense – our longing, and myrrh – our suffering. 

When I go to visit Him, how often do I bring Him only leftovers. Remains of my time, busy schedule, last minutes of my day. How often did I fall asleep during the liturgy of hours, during my daily meditation. Not because of malice, only because I was so busy in the service of my Lord.

Today’s feast reminds me how important it is to put Him in the first place of my day – before I start to serve Him. Service is the measure of my love, and love first needs to meet its object.

The Magi first came to visit Him. The gifts were only a consequence of the visit. Without the visit – there are no gifts.

“Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ — which means Rock.” (J 1:42).

When I pray looking at Him hidden in the Blessed Sacrament, I like to think that He is also looking at me. What does He see in me? My sins, my limitations and shortcomings – or…?

Maybe He does for all of us what He did for Saint Peter: “you are to be called”…He has a new name for me, the name which will cover all the levels of my service.

Oh, how good it is to remain under the gaze of the Lord for a some time. Let Him look at you as often as possible. Maybe sometimes He will say something, but even if it is only His loving gaze at you, it is more than you can imagine. No one can look at you with such a great love.

“No one who remains in him sins” (1 John 3:6) 

Continuation.

St. Teresa of Avila suggested, for the beginners in prayer generally, and in meditation especially, that at the very first moment of meditation they should think about the best  companion for prayer – and invite Jesus. He is the best companion for your prayer and for your life.

If you try to remember several times a day that He lives in your heart as if you were a live tabernacle, you will see how your life is changing.

To remain in Him means to give Him a permanent place in your heart. And this is your meeting point.

For St. Teresa, accompanying Jesus was always very important. She shared  the way she learnt to be in His constant company, to remain in Him, both with her sisters and in her writings

“To remain in Him” is a process. Neither long nor short. Just a process. Any level could be improved. And the beauty of His company is that “no one who remains in him sins”.

“Remain in Him” (1 John 2:27)

A simple instruction: remain in Him. It is about intimacy with God. And it is about our private internal dialogue. Whom have you invited to be a part of your daily internal conversation? Who is your first adviser to ask for comments for daily situations? Because if you don’t let Him into your own monolgue, and if you don’t let Him remain your chief interlocutor, your internal dialogue will remain the same and nothing will ever change. You know too well all these daily comments: he/she doesn’t understand me, I’m so lonely, everybody is using me, no one appreciates my work, etc.

But if you train your internal dialogue to take place in close proximity with Our Lord, you will receive the best comments possible. With Him your heart will grow, your eyes will be open to see good things in you, your life and all around, and your ears will hear the Good News – even if it’s hidden in the conflicting emotions. He will appear in the comments you offer to the others.

“In times past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets: in these last days, he has spoken to us through his Son” (Alleluia verse)