“Jesus conquered the world, not by the sword, but by the cross” (St. Augustine).
I often end “Three Minutes for Abba” by exclaiming, “That’s our Father!” I am always amazed to discover what He is truly like.
We can never know Him enough, and it is an immense comfort and a great joy to know that in eternity we will be with God forever, never tiring of praising His glory and His love. With each discovery of His being, a new dimension is revealed to us, and an indescribable glory is manifested. If we could contemplate the holy seraphim and ask them why they burn with love and worship God day and night, they would probably answer, “Because God is God and because He is as He is.” It’s a heavenly way of saying, “This is our Father!”
Even here on Earth, however, we can be filled with wonder if we take in the words of St. Augustine that we heard today. The beloved Son of God did not conquer men by force. He did not come with legions of angels to impose His rule. Rather, Jesus came with the love that conquers all, revealing it to the world on the cross. He came to ask for our love so that He could fill us with the treasures of Redemption.
Jesus conquers us with a love that never gives up and seeks us unceasingly to rescue us from the power of darkness. He has never resorted to the bloody sword to demonstrate His omnipotence. He has never humiliated us to demonstrate His greatness. His unparalleled feat was the cross—voluntary suffering to atone for our sins and cancel the debt weighing on us (Col. 2:14). Everyone who looks at Him on the cross hears: “I have done this for you, because I love you and I want you to be where I am for all eternity” (cf. Jn 14:3).
And who sent Him? Our Father! That is how our Father is!