The Cardinal had a story to tell in his homily during the Veneration of the Cross, which , despite sounding quite silly at first, shows what it really means to love.
He told the story of a father giving his daughter a puppy as a birthday gift. The daughter loved the puppy so much that she cannot let go of it. One time, his father asked him.
"Do you really love the puppy?"
She replied, "Yes! I love my puppy so much!"
His father then said, "Then why don't you become a puppy yourself, that you may be able to share with your puppy what it really means to be a puppy?"
His daughter refused.
In this day, we remember Christ who, because of His great love, took the form of a man and lived with us, ultimately dying for us in order for us to live. What astounds me is the fact that Jesus did not take the form of a rich man who will be worshipped and adored by many because of his great riches. Instead, he took the lowliest of the lowly, being a poor and simple man.
Even experiencing the most shameful death that any human being of that time dreads - death on a cross.
And yet because of what He did, we were saved. We were transformed, cleansed, and renewed. The cross ceased to be a symbol of fear. It became a symbol of the greatest love that the world has experienced, the love of our Lord, so great that He gave up His life for us.
May Jesus' death and His love for us enable us to carry our crosses and love in greater, more selfless ways.
No comments:
Post a Comment