Jordi Payà at Flickr

Salvation is pure gift, and what is given to us from God?   His very self, communicating to us as much as we can handle. Bring it Son of Man, light of the world, on fire with love, can’t help but to bring the holy dove.  This is not a theological treatise nor is it meant to be. Everything He touches radiates eternal life, he touches a priest, he becomes in persona Christi, He touches water it becomes the waters of life, He touches bread and wine and the fullness of divinity makes manifest.  He touches you and me and we become born again.  By the way that’s from our Bible, and it is a beautiful image that our Lord has given us.

I spent the first decade of my Christian life contemplating the work of Christ on the cross, the power of His resurrection, and the glory to be revealed, and this is great!  It fills my soul with joy and light.  But my meditations are but a menu.  You want the passion?  You wish to know the savior of the world, to plunge to the depths of His awesome, awe-ful, love?   I’m afraid the intellect can only take us as far as sweet contemplation. Oh, but the Christ has taken it even farther still. Beyond beautiful recollections in the holy book all the way to Calvary.  Let’s go to Calvary friends.

How I have longed to share this with you.  Share what?  Nothing short of Himself.  You want the gospel? I’ll show you the gospel. This is my body broken for you, this is my blood, the blood of the everlasting covenant.  I’m not talking about a reflection, as wondrous as an Apostle Paul may be, I am beholding salvation itself, right before my naked eye.  Calvary itself coming to me in time and space.  The Incarnation and the height of God’s demonstrative love for me, right here and right now, in this place, in this Mass, extending His hands and saying this is my body broken for you.  And He dares me to take such love into my mouth, the mouth that has accused and profaned his love.  He enters my very being!   I become one with the God who made me.  Salvation unbelievable.  Salvation beyond words.  Salvation itself, for it is the Savior of the world.

What other human response could one have but Holy, Holy, Holy; Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory! Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed HE who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the Highest!

Can I say it any louder; come to the wedding feast of the Lamb!  Where the King becomes one with His bride, where the apex of the love of the universe sits, where a power greater than eternity is welcoming you to be consumed by consuming. Where mere man is invited into God himself.  And the two shall become one flesh.