Creation of Adam (detail) by Michelangelo
For years, though I had been a committed Christian and enjoyed what many call a truly personal relationship with Christ, I had not really internalized the thought that God desired me. That He wants and longs for a relationship with me. The idea seemed odd that the great God of our universe would have any sense of personal longing for a relationship with any human, let alone one as broken as me. The breakthrough came when I was meditating on Luke 22:15. He was speaking to the disciples at the last supper – He was preparing for His own death by communing with them.
He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;”
God earnestly desired to be with his disciples. He had no need to be with them, yet, in His great love, He still had a deep and compelling desire to be with them.
He has that same desire to be with you.
The next time you pray, sit or kneel silently before Him – put yourself in the seat of one of the disciples – you are after all, one of His disciples. See Him speaking to you. Hear Him say to you using your own name… “_________ I earnestly desire to commune with you, to be with you, to speak to you, to know you and have you know me.”
The God of love is calling your name. Take a moment to stop and listen for His voice – you won’t regret it.
Dan Burke is the Executive Director of the National Catholic Register and author of Navigating the Interior Life – Spiritual Direction and the Journey to God.
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