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TRACK 2 A Journey of Light Glory to the Son (The
Way)
After having profoundly felt and understood that God loves us the way we are even if we are still continuously learning how to experience this love in our daily life, we now begin to recognize the beauty and humanity of Jesus Christ who gave his own life for our sake. Jesus Christ is the greatest sign of God’s love for humanity, and his own body is enfleshed in the people who surround us. In Donec Formetur, the second stage of discernment is called the Way of Illumination. It presents the meditation of the mysteries of the life of Christ who is the only way, truth and life, starting from Incarnation. The life and teachings of Jesus in the Gospel illumines the truth and reveals to us God as the Father, shows us the way back to our heavenly homeland, and teaches us how to live fully.
According to Blessed James Alberione, the time of youth is decisive for life and is a period that has the most serious consequences for eternity (DF 43). Jesus Master, whose greatest desire is to fulfill the will of his Father, spent his younger days in obedience, listening to the teachings of the elders, and growing in grace and wisdom. Jesus Christ is our model-way. With humanity loosing the way to heaven, the Father sent the Son to mark it for us, with deeds, more than with words. (DF 48)
We can thus summarize the life of Jesus Christ as: ‘Life of him who perfectly did the will of God.’(DF 44) Indeed, the greatest desire of Jesus is to do the will of his Father, and it was consummated on the cross, the tree of Life.
The process that we are following in this journey of light centers on LISTENING TO OUR HEART’S DESIRE. Paying attention to the desires of our heart is an important step in the spiritual discernment process. Some religions teach that desire is wrong and that it needs to be subjugated and subdued. In Christianity however, desire is a mighty force, one of our divine attributes. In our deepest desire lie the desire of God for us. Jesus himself is a man of desire, and at the same time the liberator of desire. Therefore, our heart’s desire is often a clue. Chances are those things we deeply desire is where our vocation lies.
The three questions that we wish to find a response in this stage of discernment are: 1. What is my deepest desire? 2. What is God’s desire for me? 3. And what is my deepest desire for God?
In this stage then, the sub-tracks for ‘Listening to our Heart’s Desire’ consist of the following:
2.1 Slow Dance. (Desiring and Dancing our Way back to God with Jesus)
God loves us and trusts us even if we sometimes doubt him. It is his great desire for us to trust him. And if we begin to trust his presence... to really trust him with everything, a mutual swirl of trust begins an astonishing dance of life and love not only with God himself, but with each person whom we encounter daily. In our desiring and dancing then, let Jesus be our guide.
2.2 Touch nd Go. (The Healing and Life-giving Touch of Jesus)
The unfolding of God’s presence becomes more and more evident as we dance with him. We move closer to each other in intimacy as we sway together with the rhythm of his life and love. Now, we cannot help but connect to each other through touch as we become more comfortable with each other. Touching becomes a natural expression of desire and love. It becomes a powerful source of healing and life.
2.3 A Kiss to Life. (Jesus as fullness of God’s love and desire)
The most tender touch which communicates a deepening of love is kiss. God has kissed humanity in the most intimate way by sending his only Son Jesus Christ and continues to kiss us with his abiding presence. How do we now respond to God’s intimate kiss? |
