Statuary on the facade of the Duomo Square Babtistery, across from The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy, 2012, taken by Martha M Wiggins
“Let the omnipotence of Your mercy shield us from the darts of our salvation’s enemies, that we may with confidence, as Your children, await Your final coming – that day known to You alone. And we expect to obtain everything promised us by Jesus in spite of all our wretchedness. For Jesus is our hope: Through His merciful Heart, as through an open gate, we pass through to heaven.” … from Divine Mercy Chaplet for the World
What do we expect from our fathers? As a children we have the right to expect love and nurturing. We expect an environment conducive to mental, physical, and spiritual development. Our earthly fathers are human. We may or may not have gotten what was expected.
Our Father in Heaven, lives in Eternity and waits for us, His children, to come to Him. If we know Him, if we love Him, we have the right to expect a father’s love and nurturing. We can also expect to be welcomed into Eternal Life with Him, and He sends His beloved Son to show us the way. In fact, His Son, Jesus Our Lord and Savior, is the only Way into Eternal Life with the Father.
I love the imagery in the above prayer. The word wretchedness always grabs my attention. I have a personal connection to the word, for I often view myself through my own wretchedness, and nothing less than Jesus can lift me out of that wretchedness. It is to Jesus I run when I feel wretched, with full expectations that He will heal me. He will make me whole again.
I also love the the image of Jesus’ Sacred Merciful Heart as an open gate. On this side of the gate is my wretchedness. On the other side of gate is heaven. I simply need to pass through the gate. I see Jesus as he holds the gate open wide. I need to ask for His mercy and forgiveness, let Him transform me into His image and likeness, and I will be welcomed into Life Eternal.
Lent is a special time of personal reflection. Spend some time with Jesus. Do you see Him holding the gate open before you? If you do, offer Him thanksgiving and praise along with all the angels and saints in heaven. If you don’t, look within to find where you may need to be transformed. Ask for His forgiveness and His help in becoming more like Him. His mercy abounds. You will see the gate open before you.
I pray during this season of Lent that He stirs your heart to desire that time away with Him, that time alone with Him, and that you will see the gate open wide.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012-2013 
