As we celebrate the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, I would like us to re-examine our relationship with the Lord; what are your thoughts about Jesus? What kind of image of God have you painted for yourself?
A few years ago, I was called to the bedside of a woman who had been given three days to live. When I went to visit her at the hospital, she said, “Thank you for coming, Father. I was waiting for you. You know, before you came to visit me at the retirement home in the summer, I was afraid of God. I was afraid of his judgment and his punishment. After you came, I developed such a wonderful experience of and relationship with God that I cannot wait to meet God when I die. I cannot wait to die so I can be with God.” I realized at that moment that I was in the presence of a true mystic. A simple, faithful, everyday Catholic now turned genuine mystic.
Now, to break the tension of the moment, I said, “You know, when you go up there, just put in a word for me.” “Oh, Father,” she said, “I can’t wait to tell God everything about you.” “Well, I said meekly, “Please, not everything.” So we joked a little and I prayed for her.
This is what it means to truly know and love God. We need a personal encounter with Jesus in order for us to truly know and love him as our King. Our relationship with Jesus is not a scientific experiment but a deep personal and spiritual encounter. Our Lord Jesus humbled himself to share in our humanity. You can trust Jesus.
Fr. Abraham