Christ, The Model Of Fraternal love

As we continue in our Lenten journey, I wish to share this with you. This is from “the Mirror of Love” by Saint Aelred of Rievaulx, an English Cistercian Monk. He writes, “The perfection of brotherly love lies in the love of one’s enemies. We can find no greater inspiration for this than grateful remembrance of the wonderful patience of Christ.

He who is more fair than all the sons of men offered his fair face to be spat upon by sinful men; he allowed those eyes that rule the universe to be blindfolded by wicked men; he bared his back to the scourges; he submitted that head which strikes terror in principalities and powers to the sharpness of the thorns; he gave himself up to be mocked and reviled, and at the end endured the cross, the nails, the lance, the gall, the vinegar, remaining always gentle, meek and full of peace.
In short, he was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb before the shearers he kept silent, and did not open his mouth.

Who could listen to that wonderful prayer, so full of warmth, of love, of unshakeable serenity—Father, forgive them—and hesitate to embrace his enemies with overflowing love? Father, he says, forgive them. Is any gentleness, any love, lacking in this prayer?
Yet he put into it something more. It was not enough to pray for them: he wanted also to make excuses for them. Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. They are great sinners, yes, but they have little judgment; therefore, Father, forgive them.

They are nailing me to the cross, but they do not know who it is that they are nailing to the cross: if they had known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory; therefore, Father, forgive them. They think it is a lawbreaker, an impostor claiming to be God, a seducer of the people. I have hidden my face from them, and they do not recognize my glory; therefore, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Dear friends, if any one of us wishes to love him or herself, that person must not allow the corrupt and erroneous indulging of the human sinful nature prevail. If I wish to resist the promptings and desires of my sinful nature, I must broaden my capacity to love in order to contemplate the loving gentleness of the humanity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

I must focus on His loving example and be open to be filled by His grace. If any one of us wishes to savor the joys of fraternal and Christian love with greater perfection and delight, you and I must extend even to our enemies the embrace of true love. May the Lord help us during this Lenten season to try our best in practicing His kind of Love, Amen!

Fr. Stan.