13 May 2016 - draw us after you

[ Today's Readings ]

And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

LORD, we love you. You know that we love you. Draw this love from us that we may truly go wherever you lead us. Even if we once denied you draw the act of love from our hearts which draws us after you. You forgive our betrayals. But you go beyond that. You even heal our memories of betraying you.

As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.

You show us that we no longer have to be subject to the same weakness that once caused us to fall. We love you, LORD. It is you who draw this supernatural love from us. 

It worries us when you keep asking.

Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

But you only do so to draw a deeper and deeper commitment from us. You want us to mean it more and more. It is in this way that you make us followers who can even follow you to the cross.

Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; 
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.

You do not make us fit for beatitude all in one step. You keep asking. And it is not so much our part to try harder as it is to simply keep listening. If we do, your words, like Sacraments, have their effect in our hearts.

Then if you want us to go to Jerusalem to stand trial we have no problem with that. If you want us to remain in Rome and appeal to Caesar we have no problem with that. Our concern is not what is safest, but rather what does the most to witness to your love.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.