Here at the hermitage where I am currently on retreat, every night after Vespers, for half an hour the Blessed Sacrament is on the altar in the church. The monks welcome guests to join them in Eucharistic Adoration.
Tonight during Eucharistic Adoration, as is typically the case, the lights were off. Also as usual, near the Eucharist on the altar, three very short candles were burning.
As I sat gazing at the Blessed Sacrament, I recalled how, earlier this week, I had heard a needy man, who I'll again call "Manuel," recite part of a poem he had written. From memory as he retold the poem, he spoke of how he would not be ashamed of the sacrifice Jesus had made for him. In the poem, he explained how he would not be ashamed of the body and the blood of Christ, for in it rests his salvation.*
I was implicitly encouraged to welcome Jesus Christ into my heart as I heard Manuel recite his poem. While Manuel does not always speak so poetically, nor does he always act so gracefully, nevertheless he sits before me as one from whom I can learn.
Recently Manuel was chastised for allegedly attempting to conduct a drug deal in a public space. Later that evening, apparently agitated over how he had been chided, Manuel was yelling in the road that if he felt like screaming in the street, then he would scream in the street.
From his unsavory actions, one could quickly conclude that one has nothing to learn from him. We can jump to the conclusion that we have nothing to learn from drug dealers and drug addicts. Or we can recognize the truth that even drug dealers and drug addicts can teach us, if we are willing to listen to them.
Jesus speaks to us through those who are maligned. In how we react to those who are social outcasts, so we reply to Jesus. Whatever we do to those who are the least among us, we do to Jesus.** If we ignore those who are marginalized in our society, we turn our backs on Jesus.
Everyday we are confronted with the choice of how we will respond when we meet Jesus in the poor person in front of us. If we shut our ears and avert our eyes from the indigent person before us, we shut out Jesus. Yet Jesus advised that those who have ears to hear should listen.***
In the end, Jesus calls us to love. We love our neighbor when we listen to our neighbor. We are able to listen to our neighbor when we do not judge our neighbor. If we choose not to judge our neighbor, then we can forgive our neighbor, and welcoming him into our hearts, we can listen to what he has to tell us.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our neighbor. The Holy Spirit, in our neighbor, invites us to open our hearts to Jesus. There, in our neighbor, we find Jesus, inviting us to welcome Him into our hearts. If we wish to welcome Jesus into our hearts, let us love our neighbor by not judging our neighbor, by forgiving our neighbor, and by listening to our neighbor. Amen.
* Romans 1:16
** Matthew 25:40,45
*** Matthew 11:15; Matthew 13:9; Mark 4:9; Revelation 2:7,29
Tonight during Eucharistic Adoration, as is typically the case, the lights were off. Also as usual, near the Eucharist on the altar, three very short candles were burning.
As I sat gazing at the Blessed Sacrament, I recalled how, earlier this week, I had heard a needy man, who I'll again call "Manuel," recite part of a poem he had written. From memory as he retold the poem, he spoke of how he would not be ashamed of the sacrifice Jesus had made for him. In the poem, he explained how he would not be ashamed of the body and the blood of Christ, for in it rests his salvation.*
I was implicitly encouraged to welcome Jesus Christ into my heart as I heard Manuel recite his poem. While Manuel does not always speak so poetically, nor does he always act so gracefully, nevertheless he sits before me as one from whom I can learn.
Recently Manuel was chastised for allegedly attempting to conduct a drug deal in a public space. Later that evening, apparently agitated over how he had been chided, Manuel was yelling in the road that if he felt like screaming in the street, then he would scream in the street.
From his unsavory actions, one could quickly conclude that one has nothing to learn from him. We can jump to the conclusion that we have nothing to learn from drug dealers and drug addicts. Or we can recognize the truth that even drug dealers and drug addicts can teach us, if we are willing to listen to them.
Jesus speaks to us through those who are maligned. In how we react to those who are social outcasts, so we reply to Jesus. Whatever we do to those who are the least among us, we do to Jesus.** If we ignore those who are marginalized in our society, we turn our backs on Jesus.
Everyday we are confronted with the choice of how we will respond when we meet Jesus in the poor person in front of us. If we shut our ears and avert our eyes from the indigent person before us, we shut out Jesus. Yet Jesus advised that those who have ears to hear should listen.***
In the end, Jesus calls us to love. We love our neighbor when we listen to our neighbor. We are able to listen to our neighbor when we do not judge our neighbor. If we choose not to judge our neighbor, then we can forgive our neighbor, and welcoming him into our hearts, we can listen to what he has to tell us.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our neighbor. The Holy Spirit, in our neighbor, invites us to open our hearts to Jesus. There, in our neighbor, we find Jesus, inviting us to welcome Him into our hearts. If we wish to welcome Jesus into our hearts, let us love our neighbor by not judging our neighbor, by forgiving our neighbor, and by listening to our neighbor. Amen.
* Romans 1:16
** Matthew 25:40,45
*** Matthew 11:15; Matthew 13:9; Mark 4:9; Revelation 2:7,29
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