It is my good fortune to belong to a Universal Church which is hated. Truly indeed it is loved by those who know its Divine character; but it is also hated by thousands who regard it as antiquated, as behind the times, as superstitious, and even diabolic. It is spoken of as a Mother by those who receive its spiritual benefits, but it is so despised by others that it has been driven from some countries, has been tolerated by others, and regardless of how much other sects may differ among themselves, it is still considered their one common enemy.

A parallel of the attitude of the world to the Catholic Church is to be found in its attitude toward Christ. He too was loved; but He also was hated. We do not find such love toward any other person as we do toward Him; neither do we find such abiding hate. There is therefore a parallel between two questions: why is Buddhism not hated, and why is Catholicism hated? and the two other questions: why is Buddha not hated, why is Christ hated?

First, a word about the love and hatred toward the person of Christ, and then about His Church. These are life of Our Lord, as they do about no other person who ever lived: the passion of love and the passion of hate. Jesus Christ said He would be loved; Jesus Christ said He would be hated. Jesus Christ said He would be scorned. Jesus said He would be loved unto folly; Jesus said He would be hated unto fury and that the duel would go on until the end time. Hate would lift Him up on the cross , but once on it Jesus Christ would lift all lovers unto His Heart which is love. "When I'm lifted up from the earth I shall draw all men to Myself." - John 12:32 -

Jesus said He would be loved more than fathers and mothers love children and more than children love fathers and mothers. This did not mean not loving parents, or not loving children. It meant only loving them in Him. He did not say we should love one another less, but only that we must love Him more. And is not this reasonable? Should not the whole be loved more than the part; should not the fire be preferred to the spark? Should not the circumference be loved more than the arc? Should not the Creator be loved more than His creatures? God be loved more than men, and Love loved more than the lovely?

Open the pages of history and name one single man who has ever been so loved after his death to a point of sacrifice and prayer. His cross has been deluged with tears of love in every age and century. To it all generations, as enthusiasts of love, have come crying out in the language of Saint Paul: "Who will separate us from Christ's love?... I'm convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither things present nor to come, nor powers, neither height nor depth nor any other created being will be able to separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus Our Lord." - Rom. 8:33-39 -

Napoleon saw this as all great men saw it before him. In his isolation at Saint Helena, he reflected upon the vanity of his own life and that of Louis XIV, of whom he said, "That great king is long dead, and even now he is alone in his room at Versailles, abandoned by the courtesans and perhaps the object of their scorn. He is no longer their master, he is a cadaver, a coffin, and a horror. Not long now and it shall be my lot too. That is what will happen to me. What an abyss between my profound misery and the reign of Jesus Christ, preached, loved, adored, and living in all the universe."

If you would prove it further, go lay your hand over certain hearts that receive Him in daily communion, and you will feel the flame that His Love has kindled. Go knock at the portals of the Carmelites, the Poor Clares, and the hundred other retreats of the saintly, and ask the question the world always foolishly asks such saintly souls, "Did you enter into this place of prayer because you were disappointed in love?" And the answer that will flash back to you will be, "No, I am not here because I was disappointed in love. I was never disappointed in love. My first love is my only love - the Eternal Love of my Lord and my God."

There is no need of multiplying witnesses. Even your very thirst for perfect love is a thirst for Him for Whom you were made, and without Whom you cannot be happy. He sought love in poor, weak, frail hearts like our own, and unlike any other heart that ever beat, His Sacred Heart has been loved above all things else, even life. There is Pascal: "Jesus Christ wished to be loved, He is loved, therefore He is God."

Now, let us turn to the other fact about the life of Our Lord which proves He is Divine; and that is hate. Hated Jesus said He would be - by the world until the end of time - not the material universe, not by people in general in it, but hated rather by what His own Apostles have called the spirit of the world.

Recall some of the incidents of His Life, and you will see how the world hated Him from the very beginning. When only eight days of age the venerable old Simeon told His Mother that He was a sign to be contradicted, which was just a paraphrase of John's tragic note, that He came into the world and the world received Him not. When still under two years of age the soldiers of Herod drew swords to slaughter the Innocents in a vain attempt to kill innocence.

Then later on in the full bloom and blossom of life, picture this Humble Artisan with His Apostles on the very night before He died, looking down the corridors of time and saying to all future generations that He would be hated by the world. That hatred would be so personal, He went on to say, that anyone who loved Him would in turn be hated by the world. "If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me before you. If you had been of the world, the world would have lived its own, but because you're not of the world, but instead I chose you from the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, "'A servant is not greater than his lord.' If they persecuted Me, they'll also persecute you... But they'll do all these things to you because of My name, because they don't know the One Who sent Me." - John 15:20-21 -

Jesus shall be hated! What a peculiar prophecy! What had He ever done to be hated? He was meek and humble of heart. His life He offered for the redemption of many. His Gospel was the Gospel of love, even for his enemies. His last act was pardon and forgiveness for those who put Him to death. It was all a hatred, as He said, "without cause." There was a terrible perversity about it all. Jesus healed their wounds, and they wounded Him. He brought back their dead to life, and they took away His life. He called men from evil to good, and yet evil men nailed Him to a cross. He brought Divine Life to make all men friends, and enemies gave Him an ignominious death.

Neither was there any reason for hating Jesus in those who loved Him. They were to be poor as He was poor; they strove to be perfect as their Heavenly Father was perfect, and humble like Him Who washed their feet. Even when persecuted, they rejoiced; when cursed, they blessed, as if the insult of wicked men was the consecration of their own goodness, and the mud thrown at them by the impure a pledge of their own purity.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -