This is a guest post by Fr. Eric Werts.
One of my favorite parables is the Lost Sheep. The Shepherd does not simply wait for the straying sheep to return. He searches for it. He brings it back on his shoulders of forgiveness.
If I may dare to suggest that the Gospel is not totally accurate, I offer an enhancement. If you or I stray, through sin or loss of faith, God does not need to search for us. God comes with us in the first place. God constantly offers love, grace, and an invitation to rejoin our lives with him/her. If we have strayed so far from our original path that we cannot return to it, God offers us new paths to travel back to God.
A priest I know calls God the “Fixer of broken dreams.” By this he means that when we destroy a dream for walking with God, God provides new dreams. If only we will accept them.
Our God simply wants our love. God loves each of us no matter what. God stands before us with open arms. God wants us to step within his/her arms so that we may experience and live within God’s loving embrace.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Tonight is my sons Sacrament of Reconciliation. I better lead by example.
God is the “fixer of broken dreams.” I like that. Very though provoking.
God already loves us (He always has and He always will), and He does everything He can so that we will love Him back in return. How mind blowing is that, that the Creator of everything wants, needs, our love????
Eric,
Beautiful and profound. As I read what you wrote I was thinking of Frederick Beuchner’s comments on the Emmaus story – it is precisely at those moment when we try to escape, like the disciples were doing in that story, that Jesus walks beside us and remains close to us.
Paul
“God comes with us in the first place…” Oh Eric, this is a wonderful meditation that I shall take with me for a long time. This is all so beautifully put. What considerable gifts you have and how generously you share them with us here. Thank you.
This is a beautiful reflection. One of my favorite pictures is that of Jesus hanging over the side of a cliff rescuing a sheep that is barely holding on. He doesn’t just ‘whistle’ for us, as you said, he enters the mire with us, never leaving us. And, he will do anything to bring us back…even if it costs him his life. Thank you.
Andie
If you or I stray, through sin or loss of faith, God does not need to search for us. God comes with us in the first place. Thank you for this. I had never thought of it this way, but it feels so true.
Blessings.
I love the image of Jesus hanging over the cliff, Andie!
And Eric, the reminder that “God is with us” no matter where we think we are headed is a potent one to begin Advent with, thanks!
Michelle
HE IS HANGING ON TO US… EVEN IF WE DON’T REALIZE IT GOD NEVER LEAVES US… I FIND THAT VERY COMFORTING …. BLESSINGS
One way God has fixed my broken dreams is to lead me to PFO.
Beautiful.
I recall one of our parish priests saying God goes even into ditches.
Once I felt I had slid into the ditch. God was there.
This constant God of Love, forgiveness —for all.
Thank you, Fr Eric
There is a beautiful stained glass window at the church down the road that has Jesus as a shepherd, carrying the sheep on his shoulders. There are many beautiful windows in that church, but that image is my favourite one. Somehow it brings hope and compassion.
In a sense I have just ‘destroyed a dream’ as I was vaguely trying to get back to church but have decided it is ‘impossible’. So I found the phrase “God provides new dreams” very heartening. But the follow-up, that “Our God simply wants our love” is where I come unstuck. There were some hard times in my life when it seemed like God was not there despite all my shouting for help. So I don’t trust that embrace.
But I am thankful for this place where I feel safe enough to say that.
Fr. Eric, thank you for sharing so beautifully once again about God’s love and forgiveness. I am blessed as I have experienced God’s love even in the dark valleys of my life. On Saturday at a retreat the priest reminded us during a Reconciliation Service that there are three individuals in confession – the person confessing, the priest and Christ. As I experienced the Sacrament of Reconciliation that evening, I felt the forgiving presence of Christ there. It was a further blessing to read this blog before I went to work this morning. God bless.
“If we have strayed so far from our original path that we cannot return to it, God offers us new paths to travel back to God.”
God gives the grace, strength and way to go back to Him. What has my God not done for me? What has He not provided me? And why do I not respond the way I know I should?
I searched everywhere for God; churches, books, worship groups, other people, to only recently hear Him/Her say: “I’m here” and to finally realize He/She always was! How often and how desperately I searched for That Which Was With Me all along! What a relief it has been to rest and know that I don’t have to work so hard at it!!!
This is a very comforting post Father Paul and I thank you for it.
Have a great day,
Ron
I should have said, “Thank you Father Eric for the post and thank you Father Paul for putting it up on your Blog.”
Ron
My story is a little bit long…25 years ago, I had my first child. I had attended Catholic school my entire life and was in college, and I decided to leave school to get married. I was married by a judge, because I was eight months pregnant and was embarassed to walk through the church in my condition. I then gave birth to my beautiful daughter, and attended baptism classes at the same church I attended school at. At the end of classes, the priest called me up privately and informed me that he could not baptize my child, because I had been married by a judge. I was mortified, not only for myself, but for my baby. He also informed me I could not receive sacraments anymore. Although I had been married by a judge, I still had attended Mass, no matter where I was or what was going on in my life, I could find a church anywhere. I even used to go and have my throat blessed. Anyway, long story short, I still identify myself as Catholic, none of my four children have been baptized (but they still identify themselves as Catholic), and I feel like a lost sheep. I wish the church would relax a little and let those who want to be Catholic just be Catholic, without all the BS. I am now a grandmother, and my daughter wants to have her daughter baptized, but cannot. She is the baby that was never baptized herself. Any thoughts?