The Mystery of Redemptive Pain

The Mystery of Redemptive Pain

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My Lord and my God.  In agony, the suffering of a bloody Lord is the only remedy of a broken heart.  Often I have imagined I dissolved into His wounds.  I want to climb inside His pain; it is like ointment to my soul. With His blood is mingled love, my pain is alone in despair. But when I climb inside Him the pain remains but the despair dissipates, and only love remains with the pain.  Somehow, my pain is mingled with His and becomes tears of life, that breaks my heart with love.

What would I do, what would we do, without our Lord?  Jesus Christ, my pain, my healing, my love who taught me to love. My God, who loves me and gave himself up for me, that I may give myself up for Him.

My Lord and my God, let me never part from your side and keep me from the wickedness and snares of the devil.  May His most precious blood cover us and keep us, may his wounds be our healing.

Radiant King of love, we see you, we know you, and even more than that we are known by you.  Comfort us in our afflictions and bring us to everlasting life.

Only in sacrifice is redemption had, God brings all His faithful to His wounds to offer sacrifice with Him, through Him, and in Him. We, the body of Christ, are sharing in the mystery of redemption, by association. That the grace of heaven may cover the earth as the waters cover the world.

So bring your sacrifices of love to us Lord, that we may share in the eternal sacrifice given once for all. Make us instruments of love, that we may sacrifice ourselves for a decaying world.

This is deep calling to deep, this is for the mature. Mere acquired understanding of dogma or doctrine is not the mark of maturity, but a tested love received in mercy, that becomes what is received, mercy and salvation–the incarnation of the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit formed in us, brought about to completion by an offering worthy of a King.

And one day He shall wipe away all the tears from our eyes, and we shall receive our eternal reward.  To love Him makes life worth living.