A Prayer Reflection by Carlo Carretto
Jesus became a sacrament for me, the cause of my salvation, he brought my time in hell to an end and put a stop to my inner disintegration. He washed me patiently in the waters of baptism, he filled me with the exhilarating joy of the Holy Spirit in confirmation, he nourished me with the bread of his word. Above all, he forgave me, he forgot everything, he did not even wish me to remember my past myself.
When through my tears, I began to tell him something of the years during which I betrayed him, he lovingly placed his hand over my mouth to silence me. His one concern was that I should muster courage enough to pick myself up again, to try and carry on walking in spite of my weakness, and to believe in his love in spite of my fears. But there was one more thing he did ….
While I continued to have doubts about my own salvation, telling him that my sins could not be forgiven, and that justice, too, had its rights, he appeared on the Cross before me one Friday towards midday.
I was at the foot of the Cross and found myself being bathed with the blood which flowed from the gaping holes made in his flesh by the nails. He remained there for three hours until he expired.
I realized that he had died in order that I might stop turning to him with questions about justice, and believe instead, deep within myself, that the scales had come down overflowing on the side of love, and that even though all … through unbelief or madness, had offended him, he had conquered forever, and drawn all things everlastingly to himself.
O Lord, help us to believe deeply in our hearts, that Your death and resurrection have caused the measuring scales to come down, overflowing on the side of love, for each of us, for all sins, past, present and future, for all eternity. It is done. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
*From In Search of the Beyond
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