Redemption

“Marvel at God's magnanimity: He has become Man to redeem us, so that you and I - who are absolutely worthless, admit it! - may come to know Him and trust Him.” (Saint Josemaria, “The Forge”, at 30).

The Christ Child (Andreas Johann Jacob Muller)

I have been thinking about redemption.  There is literally nothing that I can do to redeem myself.

I am sinful by nature.  I am corrupt.  Even one small sin would make it impossible for me to ever merit salvation.  And yet, I know I am saved.  This is not to say that I am completely covered here.  I cannot simply say that as a Christian I am automatically afforded entry into Heaven.  After all, some of the most terrible sins have been committed by Christians.  And those sins are a rejection of God.  Where that rejection is permanent – or of a serious and mortal nature – the soul itself completely rejects God and in doing so accepts to be cast into Hell.

This is not a given outcome.  After all, Christ is merciful – perfectly merciful.  He is waiting for my humility to ask Him to forgive my sins so that He can allow me to enter into paradise.  When I pray the Our Father, I am reminded that in order to attain Heaven, I must forgive my trespasses as God I wish God to forgive my trespass against Him.

God knows that I am incapable of being redeemed in my own right.  He completely understands this.  This is why He sent His only Son to redeem me – and to redeem you too.

I have been reflecting on this over the last few days.  You see, I “marvel at God's magnanimity: He has become Man to redeem us, so that you and I - who are absolutely worthless, admit it! - may come to know Him and trust Him.” (Saint Josemaria, “The Forge”, at 30).

And there is such trust for a God who comes to me at my level.  He comes into a small patch of earth and becomes incarnate there.  Never did God have to become mortal man.  He could have chosen to remain aloof and separated from sinful me.  Instead – just for me – to give my miserable sinful soul a chance of salvation, God became Man.  He suffered and died at the hands of sinful men.  He bore terrible indignities.  He allowed His precious body to be swaddled.  He consented to wear a nappy.  He allowed His Beloved Mother to wash His Holy body when He was a little boy.  He endured flies landing on His Holy Skin.  He listened to the barter of traders in the dust and the heat.  He endured poverty.  And all of this to secure my redemption.

God – who is King of the Universe – endured countless indignities as a result of my sins and my misery.  And in all of this utter sacrifice, God of the World, allowed Himself to become small for me – for my redemption.  And here I sit – my sinful self.  Squandering that Grace.  Squandering all of it…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.