We are pleased to share the following excerpt from “Stillness in a World of Turmoil” by Monsignor Laurence Spiteri.
Many meetings reported in the Gospels show that the Lord looks for us and invites us to have a personal encounter with Him. Perhaps, we lost the memory of when we first met Jesus and pledged our love for Him. So, we should ask ourselves: when did I first encounter Jesus, or when has Jesus encountered me? Surely, Jesus encountered us on the day of our baptism, though most of us at the time were little babies and understandably were not aware of this encounter. With baptism, the Lord made us part of His people—the Church on earth, in Purgatory, and in Heaven.
As we grew older, all of us have had some encounter with Him in our life, a true encounter, when “I felt that Jesus was looking at me”. This experience is not restricted to very holy people. If we do not remember it, it will be beautiful to think back and ask the Lord to remind us, because He remembers, He recalls our encounter. When speaking to the Prophet Jeremiah, the Lord said to him: “I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride”. It refers to that enthusiastic initial encounter, that new encounter.
Jesus never forgets, but many of us forget our encounter with Him. So, we should dedicate a few moments and ask ourselves: when did I truly feel the Lord near me? We should think of when I felt I needed to change my life or to be better or to forgive a person, and when I heard the Lord asking me something. In other words, when I encountered the Lord. Our faith is, in fact, an encounter with Jesus, and this is precisely the foundation of faith: I encountered Jesus like Saul. Was it the time when the Risen Lord met me at Holy Mass, at Holy Communion, or when I was sick or felt lost or grieving?
It might be that some of us cannot remember our encounter with the Lord for it was so long ago—when we made our First Holy Communion, or when we went to Holy Mass as teenagers, or when we heard a homily that touched us to the core. Then it is important to ask for this grace: Lord, when did I consciously find You? When did You tell me something that changed my life or invited me to take that step forward in life? When we remember, we should rejoice in that recollection for it was a celebration of love.
The Lord always wants to encounter us, for He wants a personal relationship with us. Thus, Jesus comes down from heaven in Person at the celebration of Holy Eucharist in order to change us from the inside.For He assures us: “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him”. He changes us to become more loving, more forgiving, more merciful, more authentic Christians. This is what really matters.
Author Bio: Msgr. Laurence Spiteri
Born in Malta, Msgr. Laurence Spiteri, J.C.D., Ph.D., was ordained for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, California. He holds doctorates in biblical studies, psychology, and canon law, and specializes in international law. He serves as prelate auditor of the Roman Rota, is in charge of the legal office of the Vatican Apostolic Library, is a voting member of the Historical Commission at the Dicastery for Causes of Saints, and is CEO of three foundations. He is the author of more than seventy-five books, some of which deal with canon and civil law, as well as of numerous articles. Msgr. Spiteri’s works have been published in various languages in the United States, England, Ireland, Malta, Mexico, Portugal, Italy, and Vatican City State.
