Never be afraid to approach God

NOR be ashamed. Even if we have offended him big time or

find ourselves in a most shameful condition, let’s never hesitate to

approach God to ask for pardon or any kind of help. God is always a

Father whose only delight is to love us all the way. He is ever ready

for that, and, in fact, very eager too. He will do everything to help

us in any way.

            This is what we learn from the episodes of the Canaanite

woman (cfr Mt 15,21-28), the official whose daughter just died, and

the woman suffering from hemorrhages for 12 years. (cfr Mt 9)

            In the case of the official, Christ dropped everything to

go to the house of that official and along the way happened to help

the woman also.

            In the case of the woman, it has to be noted that she was

publicly regarded as an outcast. But she was determined to approach

Christ even secretly, and even if only to touch Christ’s cloak.

            “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured,” she

said to herself. Her strong faith, her confidence, her humility, all

contributed to the granting of her desire. “Courage, daughter! Your

faith has saved you,” Christ told her. And she was cured.

            Let’s take note that more than just the cure of her

hemorrhages, Christ told her she was saved. Christ is more interested

in the salvation of our sinful soul, which is more important than in

the cure of any health problem.

            In the case of the Canaanite woman, Christ readily saw how

great her faith was, and so he relented even if at the beginning he

ignored her. Christ was simply testing her faith. And by so doing, he

also showed that faith can transcend and cross racial and cultural

boundaries.

            Let’s hope that we can have the same attitude as the

Canaanite woman, the official and the sick woman. Let’s not delay in

going to Christ by whom all our needs are satisfied. Let’s have the

same attitude, the same faith, confidence and humility that these

three characters had shown.

            More than that, let’s also show among ourselves the same

attitude that Christ had toward these three characters. Let’s be quick

to help others, to understand them, to be patient and merciful with

them. Let’s develop a universal heart that can accommodate everybody

with love.

            Let’s remember that we have to like him, since as the Son

of God, he is the very pattern of our humanity, and as the Son of God

who became man, he is our redeemer who definitely resolves our earthly

human predicament.

            Let’s spend time meditating on this wonderful truth about

the fatherhood of God to us in the hope that we can develop that

intimate spirit of filiation to him. Let’s remember that our divine

filiation should be the foundation of our relationship with God.

            We are not just one more creature of his. We are the

masterpiece of the whole of his creation. We are children of his, yes,

in spite of the mess that we can manage to create because of the

misuse of our freedom.

            We have to learn not to be afraid of him, nor ashamed to

approach him because of our stupidities. The fear of the Lord, which

is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, is simply the fear of

offending him, but not the fear to approach him after we may have

offended him.

            God looks kindly on sinners. The divine justice that our

sins deserve does not undermine at all the divine mercy he is always

eager to give us. So, let’s take heart, just like what Christ told the

woman.