Focused on the Bridegroom
- FATHER TADEUSZ DAJCZER
One of the functions of the Holy Spirit, who descends on the world, is to convince us of our sin.
This is the initial grace, fundamental to our interior life, which is granted to us by the Holy Spirit so that we can be convinced of the fact that we are sinners. It is not enough, however, for us to accept this first grace of the Holy Spirit. If we were to know only the reality of our sin, it could ruin us. Our lives would become completely weighed down by our own evil; our lives would be marked with restlessness, stress, and sorrow. There has to be an opening within us for a further gift of the Spirit, for the discovery through faith of God's love for us.
Pope John Paul II, during his homily in Warsaw on 2 June 1979, said these memorable words, "A man cannot be completely understood without Christ. Or rather, a man cannot understand himself completely without Christ." This means that, if we do not take into consideration that Christ has entered into our lives, our perception of ourselves is reduced and, therefore, is false.
If the Holy Spirit shows us that we are sinners, but we do not discover Christ who loves us, then we could break down. Certain relationships are so important to man that they seem to belong to his essence. Love is one of these relationships. We cannot come to know ourselves without Christ, because without Christ we cannot come to know that we are loved, that we have been redeemed and chosen. By the fact of being chosen, this love becomes an integral part of our "self" and we cannot fight against it.
If Christ loved you because you were worthy of love, it would not be meaningful. A person, even one without faith, is able to love someone who is worthy. Christ’s love, as God's agape, is love that comes down from on high and loves that which is unworthy so that it may become worthy. The more clearly you see your sinfulness, the more honestly you admit to it, the more you will rediscover Christ and fully believe in him.
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Acknowledgement
Father Tadeusz Dajczer, "Focused on the Bridegroom." from The Gift of Faith (Fort Collins, CO In Arms of Mary Foundation, 2011).
Reprinted by permission of In the Arms of Mary Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Author
Fr. Tadeusz Dajczer (†2009) was ordained to the Priesthood in 1955 in Warsaw, Poland. In the life of Fr. Dajczer, a decisive moment took place during his confession with St. Padre Pio. St. Padre Pio asked his penitent, with astonishment and great force, why he did not want to go toward God to the end. For Fr. Dajczer it was a shocking experience and at the same time, the beginning of a search for sanctity both for himself and for his penitents. He is the author of The Mystery of Faith: Meditations on the Eucharist, and The Gift of Faith, which has been translated into 26 languages. He is the co-founder of the Families of Nazareth Movement, which is currently present in 40 countries.
