THERE IS A MAN ON THE CROSS

God wants union with us. He wants fire. Many try to love God with a cold heart. They tell Him words that they think they should say that are loving.

When one loves, they do not need to be prompted to say words. From the depth of their being they cry out their words of love. It is a cry from within, from the fire within their chest, behind the words. The words are burning in their chest and must be released because of the fire behind them.

We are as blind men. We do not see the great gifts that God gives to us. It is as if we stand by the shore of the sea and throw little words at Jesus. We must not be afraid to jump into the water and be completely immersed in His love. He was consumed with such love for us. He gave Himself to His death on the cross.

There is a man on a cross and he tells us so many things. He does not have to speak. When we study Him on the cross, He speaks to us with His pierced hands, His head covered with blood, His body withered and beaten. He speaks to us of His undying love.

Oh, beloved Savior, I am blind. I am selfish. I do not see the great reservoir of love that you give to Me. I see the man dying on the cross. How do I see Him? Do I see a figure and think, oh, is it a pretty cross, would it look good in my living room? Do I see the cross and think, oh, I guess I should have one in my house, others will think I am holy then? Holy people do have a cross in their homes.

Do I see the body of a man, a live man? Do I see His labored breath? Do I see His chest move as His Heart beats within? Do I see the real skin of a man? Do I see the real blood He shed? Do I see the light that silhouettes His withered body? Do I see the Light of the World? Do I see the tender skin of an infant laid on bare wood in the manager and then the torn, lacerated, bloodied skin of this man?

This is love! There is a man on the cross. There is a child born to us today. He is the Light of the World. His light is shining in the darkness, but people do not see. They see the wood, but they view it for the beauty it will create in their newly decorated living rooms.

The cross is not a thing of the past, the cross is with us today. We carry it on our backs as He showed us we would, but we try to take it off and throw it away.

It is in the cross there is the resurrection. It is by meditating on the crucifix, we see His undying love. We must open up our eyes and see. Pray for vision to see clearly the man Who gave Himself for love of us, Our Divine Lord.

And how do we return His love?

Love is spontaneous, love is fire in our hearts, love is alive and emitted with force. God is love.

Do we realize that His last thoughts on the cross were for us. In this agony, as He hung on the cross, He was consumed with burning love for us. When He was scourged at the pillar, He was comforted by our acts of love that we give to Him today. Our burning love for Him was sweetness to His most Sacred Heart in the moments of His bitter Passion.

Love gives and wants to give its all. A person in love does not need to be prompted and told to love. Love wants to give.

Love is given spontaneously, it is not controlled. Love is tenderness pouring forth from the heart. Love is not concerned with commitment, love by itself is committed. It pours forth from the mouth of the lover because of the fire burning deep inside.

Let us study the battered body of Christ on the cross. As I study His pierced hands and feet, His head crowned with thorns, the blood pouring forth from His Heart, as I view the lacerations covering His body, I feel His word well up in my heart. He speaks to me in the depth of my soul and I hear Him say, "I love you. I love you. I love you, to My death on the cross."

He gives, He gives, He gives to us constantly. He gives and how is He treated by us? We take and we take and we take and we don't even say thanks. Thanks for our breath, our heartbeat, the beautiful sky, the sunlit day, the moon at night, the beautiful eyes of our friends. Oh, how many things He gives to us and how ungrateful we are!

How is your day? Is your glass half-empty or half-full?

How often my glass is half empty, as I am reminded by my spiritual director, Fr. Carter. How often I do not thank Our Divine Lord for His gifts!

When I am filled with love, I see more clearly. The secret is to know God's love. We must pray for the grace to know His love more and for the grace to love Him more.

There is a man on the cross. Do we see His undying love for us? He speaks no words. He shows us the crucifix. The words are alive in our hearts.

The Father created us to love and to be loved. God is love. He wants union with us. He gives Himself to us. This is love. There is union in proportion to how I give myself to Him.

Jesus gives and gives and gives and we treat Him "nonchalantly". He gives us love, but we must give ourselves to Him to have union with Him. He wants us to be one with Him.

We must relish the great gifts He gives to us - the greatest gift being the gift of Himself. We should anticipate the great gift of receiving Him in the Holy Eucharist with such eagerness in our hearts. The words I feel in my heart are expressed in the song, "I Love You, Jesus":

Oh Burning Heart, Oh Love divine, how sweet You are to me. I see the host, I know You're here to love and care for me. I know Your love a little now, so dear You are to me. Come give me life, abundant life, I thirst to be with Thee. I cannot say. There are not words to say what my heart feels. I love You so, I scarce can breathe when You come into me. I know Your love a little now, so dear You are to me. Come give me life, abundant life, I thirst to be with Thee. Your tender Heart, Oh how it beats for love of each this day. I want to give You all my love, surrender totally. I know Your love a little now, so dear You are to me. Come give me life, abundant life, I thirst to be with Thee.

When we awake at night, we must think of Him and how we will receive Him the next day. We long to go to Communion to receive Him. We love Jesus in the Eucharist so much. A King comes to us. He enters our body and unites with our soul. He is the King of the kingdom of heaven…He is our Lover, He is the Almighty God, a Divine Person, and He comes to us. He wants us to come to Him with such longing. He wants us to think of Him all day. He wants us to long for Him.

Ps. 63:1-8:

God, you are my God, I pine for you;
my heart thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
as a land parched, dreary and waterless.
Thus I have gazed on you in the sanctuary,
seeing your power and your glory.
Better your faithful love than life itself;
my lips will praise you.
Thus I will bless you all my life,
in your name lift up my hands.
All my longings fulfilled as with fat and rich foods,
a song of joy on my lips and praise in my mouth.
On my bed when I think of you,
I muse on you in the watches of the night,
for you have always been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice;
my heart clings to you,
your right hand supports me.

The priest says in the Mass at the Offertory, "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the Divinity of Christ, Who humbled himself to share in our humanity." He gives Himself to us. He shares His Divinity with us. We are human creatures and He shares Himself with us. My heart burns when the priest puts the drop of water in the wine. This is, indeed, a great mystery that God remains with us today, truly present in His Divinity and humanity in the Holy Eucharist, that He gives Himself to us in Communion, and that He waits for us to come to the tabernacle and be with Him. He wants to outpour His divine love and His divine life to us.

We should swoon for our Lover the Almighty, Divine God, yet we go to Him with such cold hearts. He wants our burning love.

The song "I Love You, Jesus":

Oh Burning Heart, Oh Love divine, how sweet You are to me. I see the Host, I know You're here to love and care for me. I know Your love a little now, so dear You are to me. Come give me life, abundant life, I thirst to be with Thee. I cannot say. There are not words to say what my heart feels. I love You so, I scarce can breathe when You come into me. I know Your love a little now, so dear You are to me. Come give me life, abundant life, I thirst to be with Thee. Your tender Heart, Oh how it beats for love of each this day. I want to give You all my love, surrender totally. I know Your love a little now, so dear You are to me. Come give me life, abundant life, I thirst to be with Thee.

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Copyright © 1997 Shepherds of Christ Ministries
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. For information contact Shepherds of Christ Publications
First Printing: September, 1997