“Take me by the hand, Lord”

There are a great number of Christians who would be apostles ..., if they were not afraid. They are the same people who then complain, because the Lord - they say! - has abandoned them. How do they treat God? (Furrow, 103)

He has called us too and asks us, as he asked James and John: “Are you ready to drink the cup” — that cup which means giving yourself fully to the will of the Father — "which I am going to drink?” Possumus!: “Yes! We are ready!” [1] Is the reply of John and James. Are you and I really ready to carry out, in everything, the will of our Father God? Have we given our Lord our whole heart, or are we attached to ourselves and our interests and comfort and self‑love? Is there anything in our lives out of keeping with our Christianity, something which makes us unwilling to mend our ways? Today we are given a chance to set things straight.

But first of all, we must be convinced that Jesus is putting these questions to us personally. He is the one who asks them, not I. I wouldn’t dare even put them to myself. I am praying aloud, and each of you, silently, is admitting to our Lord: “Lord, how useless I am, what a coward I have been! How many mistakes I’ve made, over and over again.” And we can go further and say: “It’s good, Lord, you have kept me up with your hand; for, left to myself, I am capable of the most disgraceful things. Don’t let me go; keep on treating me as a little child. I want to be strong and brave and manly. But you must help me. I am a clumsy creature. Take me by the hand, Lord, and make sure your Mother is also by my side to guard me. And so, possumus! We can; we will be able to have you as our model.” (Christ is passing by, 15)

[1] Matt 20:22: Potestis bibere calicem quem ego bibiturus sum? Possumus!

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