“Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.” (Mt 11:20).

Anyone who encounters Jesus is invited to change. Jesus shines the light of his love and mercy into the darkness of our own fallen nature, where we are wounded, sinful, and broken. He invites us to repentance, healing, and reconciliation. He invites us to actualize who we truly are. A wonderful invitation, but why would we turn away? The darkness may be too dark, or the light may be too bright.

Facing our own darkness and pain is not easy and can be frightening as well as intimidating. That is why we are so vulnerable to temptations, distractions, and diversions. We may not be able to sit still because we want to keep moving so as not to face our fears and the root causes of our suffering, nor let go of our false senses of security, control, and the glitter of apparent goods. We also may not be able to accept the fullness of our goodness, of who God calls us to be, and the realization of who we really are.

Jesus invites us to stop, to breathe, to enter into his stillness and silence where we can hear the word of his Father and experience the love of the Holy Spirit. In this experience of silence, we come to encounter the choice to change our hearts and minds. We are invited to repent: to turn away from and let go of that which keeps us from growing closer in our relationship with God and becoming more fully alive.

God loves us more than we can ever mess up, more than we can ever imagine, and he does not define us by our worst mistakes. Jesus’ arms are wide open to receive us in the midst of our deepest wounds, fears, pain, sin, and suffering but we must be willing to stop running and be still long enough to experience and feel his forgiving, loving, and healing embrace. At the same time, we need to be willing to accept who we truly are and called to be apart from our false self. We are often too self-critical and judgmental of ourselves which keeps us wrapped up in ourselves.

Our challenge is to accept who we are as God’s children and who he calls us to be. While at the same time, we are to surrender to Jesus and make him our Lord. All the saints have come to this same place in their encounters with Jesus. The light of Christ reveals their sin, and they see where God is calling them to go free of that which keeps them bound. And so, they begin to cut the chords and strings that bind. For a bird bound by even the smallest of strings will not be able to fly until the string is cut.

May we allow Jesus to reveal to us the chords and strings that bind us so that we can cut them and be set free from the fowler’s snare!

Photo: Moment of pause while on my Rosary walk on Veteran’s Memorial Island Sanctuary, Vero Beach, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, July 16, 2024