“I would stay. Saints are extremely happy, but... They can't gain souls for God like us, with their work and sufferings.” (Saint John Vianney).
I have been reflecting on the love of God for His people.
You see, when Christ became Man, one of the most significant parts of His life was His ability and willingness to heal the sick. He continually put Himself into a position where He could make the lives of others better.
And I have been reflecting on that today… You see, we will all of us die. That is the one thing that we know for sure. Each soul born into this world will have its earthly body die as the soul is sent to eternity through separation from the body. And things were no different for those who Christ healed – even those He raised from the dead…
And so, today, I have been wondering why He did that? Why did Christ invest that sort of energy and attention in healing people when this body of our is so insignificant it exists for less than a fraction of a fraction of time in the scheme of eternity before the soul departs and we await for the resurrection of the body at the end of time…? After all, those healings caused Christ an awful lot of trouble!
“Again He entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. And they watched Him, to see whether He would heal him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come here.’ And He said to them, ‘Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. And He looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out, and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him.” (Mark 3:1-6).
People actively sought to DESTROY Christ because He healed the withered hand of the man. So, why did Christ do it?
Well, obviously these signs were prophesised so that people would understand that Christ is God. But there was surely more to it than that. After all, He could have proved His power by levitating, or shifting the sun, or making the sky turn red. But instead, He went out and found people to heal. And I cannot help but wonder if the physical healings were significant because Christ was healing the soul too.
You see, with each healing Christ was not banishing death – instead He was giving HOPE that He is MORE POWERFUL than death…
Father Toccanier was the assistant priest of Saint John Vianney in his parish at Ares. One day, when Saint John Vianney was ill, Father Toccanier asked, “If Our Lord gave you the possibility to choose between going straight to Heaven on the spot or staying a bit longer to keep working for the salvation of souls, what would you choose?” And Saint John Vianney’s reply was unflinching… “I would stay. Saints are extremely happy, but... They can't gain souls for God like us, with their work and sufferings.”
And I have been reflecting on that today – for that is a message of HOPE. And that is what it is all about… Hope in a world with withered arms…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.