The face in the mirror, that is the image of God's Mercy
Mirror
A daily look in the mirror mercilessly reveals the secret of my earthly life, limited by time, marked by transience. I have touched death several times, therefore, with special awareness and spiritual sensitivity, I rejoice in the grace of existence, and even more in the mystery of God's merciful providence. Thanks be to God; my life is wonderful. This is evidenced by all the favors ..., events ..., meetings ..., experiences ..., written on the "stone tablet" of my heart. At the same time, my life is fragile, which is what my body reminds me of. Do I lose my life while living, or is there more and more of it in me?
The laws of human nature, contrary to the achievements of modern medicine, I cannot change or cheat. So, am I born and live only to die? I ask myself, paraphrasing the words of the German philosopher Martin Heideger (1889-1976) - Who am I, being a human being? Is it just a "soul trapped in the body", "social and rational animal", "soulful body" or "incarnate spirit", "thinking reed", "devilish, purgatory or divine being", "lonely island thirsty for love" or anyone else, determined by the views of some philosophers and thinkers?
Saint John Paul II in his first encyclical "Redemptor Hominis", placing man at the center of his reflections, turns my gaze to Jesus Christ: “Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it. (…..) The man who wishes to understand himself thoroughly-and not just in accordance with immediate, partial, often superficial, and even illusory standards and measures of his being - he must with his unrest, uncertainty and even his weakness and sinfulness, with his life and death, draw near to Christ. He must, so to speak, enter into him with all his own self, he must "appropriate" and assimilate the whole of the reality of the Incarnation and Redemption in order to find himself. If this profound process takes place within him, he then bears fruit not only of adoration of God but also of deep wonder at himself. (John Paul II, Redemptor hominis 10)
The fullness of humanity and the fullness of God's love revealed in the life and mission of Jesus of Nazareth explains to me the mystery of my existence, my priestly vocation, the meaning of life, work, suffering and death. Looking in the mirror, I see, in the spirit of faith, in the face of my imperfect humanity, the image of the Perfect Man and True God, Jesus Christ, my Savior, the likeness of whom I was called to life, from nothingness to eternity, from sin to holiness, from slavery to the freedom of the child of God.
It is difficult to live without looking in the mirror, it is even harder to live without looking at the image of God's Mercy, therefore I often look at this special icon that has accompanied me since childhood, "peregrinating" at all stages of my life so far, at the same time inviting me to pray with childlike trust. In my family home for many years at 3 p.m., with my parents and siblings, I prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet.Today alone, or with my companion, in the "hour of mercy", we ask "have mercy for us and for the whole world", looking at the "icon of the Merciful Savior", hung in every room of the house, also in the room where I am writing these words.
Face
A daily look at the image of Divine Mercy envelops my heart with the grace of spiritual consolation. While the mirror shows my humanity in its real form with all its natural limitations, weaknesses and sins, the image portends the shape of my future and perfect life, liberated from all human disabilities.
It allows me to better understand the mystery of my priestly life and invites, and sometimes even forces me to live in the spirit of boundless and childlike trust in the merciful God and to become an instrument of God's Mercy towards my fellowmen whom I meet on the way of my life. I am aware that my life, redeemed with the Blood of the Savior, is the greatest grace of God's Mercy, which I experience constantly and that is why all previous circumstances and life experiences, regardless of my personal feelings, have a salutary meaning and priceless value.
The weakness of my mortal body, thanks to the Eucharistic union with Christ is strengthened and transformed by the holy and immortal life of God who, in his mercy, is faithful to the covenant he made with me in the act of my creation and redemption marked with the sacramental seal of Holy Baptism. That is why I know that by living, I am losing my earthly life every day, but at the same time there is more and more of this life that will manifest itself after death.
From the image, I look at the pages of the Encyclical "Dives in Misericordia" of Saint John Paul II, devoted to the mystery of God's mercy, to understand the essence of Merciful Love even more deeply, to look at the face of Jesus who, by bestowing His grace on me, awaits for my answer in the form of mercy towards others: “Jesus Christ taught that man not only receives and experiences the mercy of God, but that he is also called "to practice mercy" towards others: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." (cf. Mt 5:7). (Saint John Paul II, Dives in Misericordia 14)
It is difficult to live without looking in the mirror, it is even harder to live without looking at the image of God's Mercy, therefore I often look at this special "icon of Merciful Jesus" and repeat in the silence of my heart "Jesus, I trust in You".
Until Tomorrow
fr. george