“He needs hearts which will be channels for these rushing waters, to receive them and share them. That is the role of these generous and faithful souls. By their very existence they hold back or destroy the consequences of sin.” – I Believe in Love, Fr. Jean d’Elbee
Recently in prayer, God has been pressing upon my heart the need to be a holy ground, a place of encounter between Him and His children. Our hearts have the potential to be Divine meeting places, where those we love are lifted to the Lord and the Lord draws near to them.
Is this not the very mission of Christ? Was this not the very thing that He came into the world to do?
“He is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” – Hebrews 7:25
To draw man close to God, to redeem them by interceding for them in word and in action – that is what Jesus lives to do! It’s not a past-time, it’s not something He enjoys doing every once in a while. It’s what Jesus LIVES FOR!
So, if we are to be followers of Christ, shouldn’t we live for it too?
Sometimes in prayer, I picture myself before the altar of the Lord, and within my hands, I have placed someone I love, someone that doesn’t allow the Lord to love them. And as I hold them in my hands, I draw out their struggles, their hurts, their wounds – the places where they need God – and pray the prayers they don’t dare to pray. I intercede for them. I lift them to God, and ask the Lord to draw near to them. That encounter takes place within me, in Love, whether the person realizes it or not.
In this way, they know the Lord.
In this way, God is able to draw near to them.
This might be the only way that this takes place.
Because sometimes, even though we strive to love in the name of Jesus, hearts are closed to us, because they are closed to Him. And sometimes, when we proclaim the good news of Christ, the passion of Jesus, His death and resurrection, the way of salvation for all mankind, our words fall on deaf ears. We should still always do these things, because we never know when there might be a moment of openness… but at the same time, we have the ability to actually bring them to God and God to them, whether they’re listening or not.
When we lift up the ones that we love to God – that happens. No doubt about it, no hindrance. We know that God hears our prayers, and that His love for all men is great. He will be close to those we intercede for. The Spirit will move within the lives of our loved ones because of our holy words.
St. Paul tells us in his first letter to the Corinthians - “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?” What are temples, after all? Places in the world where people encounter God. Who dwells in your temple? Who do you hold in your heart? And do you make offerings on their behalf? Do you take the suffering and brokenness you know is present in the people you care about, and lift them up to God? Do you offer sacrifice for them? Do you call upon the love and mercy in the tender heart of Jesus, and ask that He pour out His grace upon all those who hold a place in your heart, your temple?
This is what it means to be a child of God, to live out our baptismal calling, to be followers of Jesus, our great high priest. We too have to intercede for our brothers and sisters, to atone for them, to lift them to God.