a christless eternity?
"When some of the Jews again reached for rocks to stone Him, Jesus protested." —John 10:31
Several times the chosen people tried to arrest or stone Jesus (e.g. Jn 10:39). Yet Jesus would walk right through their midst, elude them, or say something that would cause them to stop temporarily.
We also resist and reject Jesus, but stop just before turning our backs on Him to walk away into a Christless life and eternity. After we threaten to divorce Jesus several times, we think it's a game, and that we'll never really crucify Him. But eventually Jesus no longer interrupted the people in rejecting Him. He let them scream, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" (Mt 27:22, 23) He let His blood be upon them and their children (Mt 27:25).
We will eventually love or hate Him, be attentive to Him or despise Him (Mt 6:24). Our ambivalence will end. We will kiss the wounds or drive the nails. We will choose life or death, heaven or hell. Settle it now before the end of Lent. Settle it now while you can. Surrender to Jesus. Live for Him. Reject your rejection and not your Savior.
Prayer: Jesus, I surrender all.
Promise: "The Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph." —Jer 20:11
Praise: St. Cyril, a Doctor of the Church, wrote the earliest known catechism for instructing new Christians. He loved to teach new converts about Jesus, and willingly suffered misunderstanding and exile for the sake of the truth.
Reference: (Presentation Ministries' Discipleship Program offers a 10-day series of retreats on Growing in Holiness featuring various books from the New Testament, April 1-9, 2005. We also offer a one-day Women's Retreat on April 16, 2005. For information on either retreat or to register, call 937-587-5464 or e-mail retreats@presentationministries.com)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Giles H. Pater, August 18 8, 2004
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, August 23, 2004