In the amazing encounter of JESUS with the RICH YOUNG MAN (Mark 10: 17-30), the word "Look" is mentioned three times. First, JESUS is LOOKING AT the young man. Then, HE LOOKS AROUND and talks to HIS disciples and finally, HE LOOKS AT THEM. QUESTION: Right now, as you are reading this column, IS JESUS LOOKING AT YOU? The answer is YES! JESUS IS GOD. And as God, He is present everywhere, He has all powers. He knows everything about each one of us: our past, present, and future. He can certainly look at us at all times.

I recall a retreat for priests given by Father George Ashenbrenner (Jesuit Spiritual Director) several years ago. He told us that every morning, as he wakes up he can hear Jesus say: "George, I LOVE YOU the way you are!" Like Father George we are all the unnamed YOUNG MAN: "Jesus, LOOKING at him, LOVED him...."(Mark 10:21). Jesus wanted good for him. This is the GOOD NEWS for all of us: "Not only Jesus keeps looking at us, but HE KEEPS LOVING US THE WAY WE ARE.” Do you believe this? If so, this is a life-changer. Our experiencing the Love of God in our daily life (despite all our tribulations and sufferings) is at the center of our Christian life. That personal relationship helps us to not only feel the presence of HIS LOVE but also helps us to be a TRUE DISCIPLE OF JESUS if, contrary to the Young Man, we LISTEN TO JESUS: “GO and sell what you have, give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then COME, FOLLOW ME" (Mark 10:21).

The Rich Young man had many qualities. He had observed God's commandments from his youth. He was looking for Jesus to help him: "Good teacher, What must I do to inherit eternal life?" This is a question we all want to ask Jesus. We all want to have eternal life, including happiness and peace while on earth. Jesus can read all the thoughts of the rich Young man. He knows that the rich young man has many possessions to which he is very attached. He therefore knows that there is ONE THING that the young Man lacks: he needs to sell what he has, give to the poor, to have treasure in Heaven, and follow Jesus, becoming a passionate disciple.

Jesus, then looking says to his disciples: "HOW HARD it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!" (Mark 10:23) . QUESTION: DO YOU BELIEVE IT IS HARD TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD? The answer is: YES ... and NO! YES, Jesus, many times talks about the Narrow Gate, the need to travel light (without encumbrances, detaching ourselves from this world, fixing our eyes on Heaven). AND ...NO, it is not hard. We do not have to make special efforts. Jesus gives us the answer as he responds to his disciples' question: "WHO CAN BE SAVED?" Jesus explains that "For MAN it is IMPOSSIBLE, but not for GOD.” We cannot save ourselves, God alone can do it. SALVATION is a GIFT FROM GOD. We are SAVED by GRACE, God pours upon us all HIS Graces. As St Therese of Lisieux says so well: ALL IS GRACE! We do not have to do anything. We simply have to recognize in FAITH the Constant LOVE of God in our lives and open our hearts to the guidance of the HOLY SPIRIT!

The greatest source of GRACE comes from the Church and the SACRAMENTS instituted by Our Lord Jesus Christ. In this YEAR OF EUCHARISTIC RENEWAL, let us avail ourselves of the Sacrament of RECONCILIATION, which is the best preparation to receive the EUCHARIST, the Center of Christian Life. Yes, we need to protect Jesus fully present in the Consecrated Host (see earlier columns about the "little" Eucharistic miracle at OLHOC). But we also need to receive Jesus in a state of grace. We cannot receive Jesus if we are in a state of grave (or mortal) sin. GO TO CONFESSION! GO TO CONFESSION REGULARLY. In the short passage of the Letter to the HEBREWS (4:14-16), we are reminded of the importance of God's MERCY this weekend: “So let us CONFIDENTLY approach the throne of GRACE to RECEIVE MERCY and to find GRACE for TIMELY HELP". We cannot save ourselves. Only God can help save us by pouring HIS GRACE upon us. Opening our hearts to GOD's GRACE will strengthen our FAITH in HIS SON OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. Grace will lead us to the Confessional where the priest acts "in the person of Christ" when he gives the absolution of sins.

I will close in quoting what I just read this morning when I was praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament. These were the words Jesus spoke to an anonymous Benedictine Monk (found in book IN SINU JESU, entry of journal Sunday, February 1, 2009): “I AM HERE- REALLY PRESENT- available to you at any hour...I wait for you. I want to LISTEN to the cares and preoccupations that you carry like a HEAVY BURDEN. Give them all to ME. TRUST IN ME, and I will act: for Me nothing is insignificant. No detail of your life is too small and NO SIN OF YOURS too shameful to be brought to Me and abandoned at My feet...I AM THE LORD of all things in heaven and on earth, and TO ME NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE."

I invite you to reflect on the above message which applies to all of us, not just to monks or priests. This is the POWER OF GOD. This is the GOOD NEWS: the constant MERCIFUL LOVE of JESUS for each of us. This is a reminder that JESUS is REALLY PRESENT in the Blessed Sacrament, whether when exposed on the altar, or elevated at the time of CONSECRATION during Mass, or when we come forward to RECEIVE HIM AT COMMUNION. Not only can HE LOOK AT US and we can LOOK AT HIM, but HE can talk to us. We can LISTEN TO HIM and we can ask HIM to transform our hearts, to help us carry our burdens, to transform our lives: "COME TO ME ALL YOU WHO ARE TIRED AND BURDENED AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST." (Matthew 11:28)

One in Christ,

Fr. Alain