Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; (Isaiah 42:1-3 NIV)
This scripture quotation above is taken from today’s mass readings. For me, this is the most powerful and enduring portrait of Christ. Knowing that God prizes our tiny faith is a very liberating reality to live in.
I am reminded of the words of Brennan Manning.
The sorrow of God lies in our fear of Him, our fear of life, and our fear of ourselves…God’s sorrow lies in our refusal to approach Him when we have sinned and failed…
‘This (brokenness) is what needs to be accepted. Unfortunately, this is what we tend to reject. Here the seeds of corrosive self-hatred take root. This painful vulnerability is the characteristic feature of our humanity that most needs to be embraced in order to restore our human condition to the healed state.’
The fourteenth century mystic Julian of Norwich said, “Our courteous Lord does not want his servants to despair because they fall often and grievously; for our falling does not hinder him in loving us.” Our skepticism and timidity keep us from belief and acceptance, however, we don’t hate God, but we hate ourselves. Yet the spiritual life begins with the acceptance of our wounded self….
Brennan Manning
