339th Meditation
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am” (Jn 17:24a).
In these words, Jesus fully expresses His love for us. He wants to have us with Him forever. To no better place could He take us than to His eternal Kingdom, in communion with the Heavenly Father, the Holy Spirit, and all those whose hearts belong to God.
This love burned continually in the Heart of Jesus and sustained Him in all His suffering: love for the Father and for us humans.
How much Jesus struggles to conquer our love, so that the desire He expresses to the Father can become a reality! From the Cross He offers all forgiveness, even for their most terrible sins, if only they will sincerely invoke His Name, even once, as we heard in the last meditation on the love of the Father.
Indeed, it is divine love itself, which goes out in search of us without ever tiring. The Holy Spirit continues this work of love, seeking ways to enlighten people so that they may find their way home.
It is thanks to God’s love that we do not lose hope in the midst of so much darkness that surrounds us.
It is thanks to this love of Jesus that we can get up again and again after our defeats, without falling into despair in the face of our weakness.
It is thanks to Jesus’ desire to have us with Him in eternity that He pursues us even in the depths of our remoteness to enlighten us with His light.
On His way to Calvary, Jesus rose again three times to complete his mission and save mankind. He never gives up or stops fighting for us, because He wants us to be where He is. And since the Lord is the way He is, we too must never give up or lose hope for our salvation and that of others. We are all called to be where Jesus is!