impassioned, divine intimacy
"Seek Him in integrity of heart." —Wisdom 1:1
The Lord wants us to live in Him and Him in us (see Jn 14:20; 17:23). He became a human being, died on the cross, and gives us His body and blood that we might have a deep, mysterious intimacy with Him. We can "grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love" (Eph 3:18).
Nevertheless, many Christians are separated and distant from the Lord because:
- "He is found by those who test Him not" (Wis 1:2).
- "He manifests Himself to those who do not disbelieve Him" (Wis 1:2).
- "Perverse counsels separate a man from God" (Wis 1:3).
- "The holy spirit of discipline flees deceit and withdraws from senseless counsels" (Wis 1:5).
We separate ourselves from the Lord when we sin and refuse to repent (see Wis 1:4). We unite ourselves to the Lord when we love and obey Him. Live in love with the One Who is Love (1 Jn 4:8, 16).
Prayer: Father, give me an impassioned love for You.
Promise: "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore, 'Be uprooted and transplanted into the sea,' and it would obey you." —Lk 17:6
Praise: St. Josaphat was misrepresented by both the East and the West when trying to reconcile the two factions. As a result, he was a victim of a murder plot.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert A. Stricker, May 8, 2001
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, May 18, 2001