The loneliness of Jesus‏

Dearest Ones,

Is it normal and natural for us human beings to be lonely at times and could Jesus, too, be lonely? Yes, it is normal to be lonely and it's nothing to be ashamed of - Jesus was lonely, too, because he was fully human. The night before his death, He asked three good friends to accompany Him as He faced His agony because He didn't want to face it alone. His loneliness on the cross can only be imagined - nearly everyone rejected Him in His last hours. How lonely He was when He preached in His home town, and the crowd became so angry they even drove Him out of town and tried to throw Him over a cliff. We will probably never experience such loneliness as that. Often when I pray I think of all the favors I need for myself and others, but how often do I think about needs that Jesus may have? What could He possibly need that He doesn't already have? Just as you and I need someone to listen to us, Jesus also needs someone to listen to Him. "If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts." The Bible has many quotes where God asks us just to listen. "Be still and know that I am God." We are not to treat God like a slot machine -asking for as many favors as possible and expect the answers we want. I wonder if the Lord ever gets tired of His children asking and never once stopping to listen. Nothing is so empty and boring as one-way communication. Try listening to someone for a few hours without getting in a word. It leaves you with a feeling of loneliness. The person who "got the load off his chest" goes away feeling better - he talked it out. But the poor listener, who could not offer a single word of advice or share his own heart, is left feeling alone. Often I have rushed into His presence with my "shopping list," but never stopping to give Him a chance to speak to me? He does have a very great need to speak to my heart, just as we all need to communicate with others. It was in the year 1675, when St. Margaret Mary, (my sister was named after her) a nun in France, was praying in the chapel, when Jesus appeared to her as a human being with His heart exposed on the outside of His body. His heart was encircled with a crown of thorns. He told her that He was so lonely because so few of His children really came to Him with love in their hearts. Their hearts had grown cold. The thorns symbolized the sins of indifference, apathy, selfishness and bitterness. How often have I been guilty of these sins, I ask myself? Jesus asked St. Margaret Mary to make known the love He has in His heart for all. That is why we often see pictures and statues of Jesus with His heart encircled by thorns as a sign of His love. Inspired by Jesus, St. Margaret Mary started the practice of the holy hour, during which we are asked to keep Jesus company for one hour. Bishop Sheen, a very holy man of the past century, never failed to make a holy hour each morning. He was inspired while in China in the 1950's by a 10-year old girl, who walked to the church each day, even though it was dangerous, to make a holy hour before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. She risked her life as she did this and eventually, was killed by the Communists. Can Jesus really suffer now? I don't know how, but He does or He would not have made known to St. Margaret Mary this great need in His heart. Our Lord wants to talk. He wants to tell us what is breaking His heart in this world. He wants to speak to each child about the beautiful plan He has for all who trust Him. He wants so much to help parents raise their children and with all of their problems. Most of all, He wants to talk to us about how much He loves and cares for us. Is it in the Bible that Christ is lonely and has a great need to speak? Yes, it's there many times. It is in the beautiful account of Christ appearing to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. After Jesus rose from the dead, two close followers were discussing the death of Jesus and how disappointed they felt. Jesus came along, walked with them and listened to the grieving disciples, although they didn't recognize Him. Jesus wanted to talk - how lonely He must have felt. He had so much to say - finally, He couldn't hold back any longer, He was so excited and happy as He began to tell them that all this was foretold in the Bible concerning Himself and He explained the reason for His death. (Luke 24:15,27) The two listened intently and afterwards went away saying, "...did not our hearts burn within us, while He talked with us?" Jesus had a need to talk. I see Jesus filled with joy that day, tears streaming down his cheeks, walking a dusty road with his friends. He poured out his lonely heart. I must give Jesus a chance to talk in my prayer time. How much more would I learn if I let Him do the talking? How many busy children of God have never heard the voice of God because they were too busy talking? Jesus said, "My sheep know My voice; they hear when I call." Despite all the false teachings in the world, the Lord still speaks directly to the hearts of those willing to hear. Let's be like those great men, Peter and Paul, who listened to God, "And Peter went upon the housetop to pray,and there came a voice to him." (Acts 10:9) Paul "fell to the earth and heard that voice." Both learned to listen. I think our prayer life would be so much more delightful, if only we realized how much Jesus wants to talk to us. Why do all the talking ourselves? "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Rev. 3:20) We need to hear Him. When I think of heaven, I think of how glorious it will be to spend eternity face-to-face with Jesus. Have you ever tried to realize what our homecoming will mean to our Savior? All the children home and He will make sure we feel "at home." He will actually serve us and share with us the reason for all the suffering and pain. Every cloud of darkness will be removed. The real joy of heaven is not just ours, but His. Our greatest joy in heaven will be to see Jesus enjoying all His children.

Till we meet in heaven, Sister Francelle