Intercession and Ache

Part of being a disciple means interceding for the world.

Jesus right now is at the right hand of God interceding for all of us, for all of Creation (Rom. 8:34). And being a disciple is expressed in simply wanting to be where one’s master is. Thus, we have a particular mission to intercede for the community we live in, the orbit we move in and the interweaving connection of relationships into which God has placed us.

Do we understand the stakes of this? It is absolutely paramount. We are not just alive to eat, work and have a nice life. We have been claimed by Jesus (bought at a price), and now we live to help Him work to save souls.

Odds are that there are many people we know whose eternal destiny is in perilous straits. Think about that. Even if it’s just one person that we know and love, they are in danger of a destiny of endless horror. Do we weep over this? Does our heart ache for them to know Jesus? Are we doing all that we can: employing all our gifts, being courageous through our fears – not so that we can feel good about ourselves, but so that the love of Jesus might melt their ice?

Have we ever shed a tear over the lost? Never forgetting that our God is a God of peace (Col. 3:15), are we yet broken up over people in our orbit who are in danger of perishing? Do we beg for mercy for these people? If not, we need to see Jesus (again). We need a deeper conversion. Watch Louie Giglio say it really well (watch this until 5:58):

To have your heart broken for people around you is to be taken up into Jesus’ heart. Thirst and anguish are deeply seated passions in the heart of Jesus.

Do we share this aspect of Jesus’ heart? Catholicism isn’t supposed to be comfortable. If we want a revival, we need a baptism of anguish. Not manmade feelings for feelings’ sake. But hearts pierced by the sword; a genuine sharing in Jesus’ anguish, ache, passion and thirst for his Mission in our world.

It would be useful if every Christian and every evangelizer were to pray about the following thought: men can gain salvation also in other ways, by God’s mercy, even though we do not preach the Gospel to them; but as for us, can we gain salvation if through negligence or fear or shame – what St. Paul called “blushing at the Gospel” (Rom. 1:16) – or as a result of false ideas we fail to preach it? (Evangelii Nuntiandi)

Lord Jesus, we pray that you wound our heart in this way. Wound it with Your love. May we be brokenhearted. May we ache. Lord, we would be humbled to be blessed with this share in your mission. All for the salvation of souls and for the praise of Your glory.