The Face of Christ

“The law of the Lord is perfect..." 

Psalm 19:8

I read in pencilled notes on the margin of my Bible that Raniero Cantalemessa, Preacher to the Papal Household since 1980, under Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, gave an example of how love and grace fulfill the law.  He wrote,  "A pregnant woman was told by her doctor exactly what rules to follow during her pregnancy. The woman was so taken by the miracle of new life growing within her that she lovingly observed all the rules until her baby was born. That's how we should see the commandments. Simply as a means to a far greater end. If we keep them, we will be that much more open to the Holy Spirit, as He brings Christ to birth in our lives." 

We may not like following rules, but just as we realize when we are older that our parents had the very best in mind for us, we should know that God's commandments are given to us because of His love for us. 

One of the non-negotiable laws of God, and one of the most difficult to fulfill is to love our neighbor as ourselves. In Luke 10, Jesus illustrates this in the well known Parable of the Good Samaritan. He teaches the scholar of the law that a neighbor is always the one who treats others with mercy and compassion. We always need to be reminded of this as sometimes there are just too many we meet on the wayside in need of a job, money, or help. How does one balance that out with our own needs, and of course our desire to save for emergencies, or other contingencies? 

I am reminded of Mother Teresa’s innumerable stories of the poor she encounters in the slum streets of Calcutta. No sooner than she brings food to one family, than a child or the mother gathers some to bring to a neighbor! They may not even know the commandment of God much like the Samaritan in the parable, but they are the face of Christ to their neighbor. Pope Francis said, “…mercy towards a human life in a state of need is the true face of love. This is how one becomes a true disciple of Jesus and the face of the Father is manifested.”