Intensity

The opening prayer of today's Mass of the Commemoration of St. Josaphat Kuncewicz, bishop and martyr, lays down in front of our spiritual eyes and conscience the following message:

Stir up within Thy Church, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the Spirit with which blessed Josaphat, Thy Martyr and Bishop, was filled, when he laid down his life for his sheep: so that, through his intercession, we too may be moved and strengthen by the same Spirit, and may not shrink from giving our lives for our brethren. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. ...

Read carefully these words: "we too may be moved and strengthen by the same Spirit, and may not shrink from giving our lives for our brethren."

This is the echo of the words of Jesus Himself in the Gospel of St. John, chapter 15: "This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."

This is the ultimate intensity of love one can live and feel, reveal and act upon in one's life. This is the intensity of Jesus' love to us. This was the intensity of St. Josaphat, when he died for his fidelity to Roman See and his passion for the union of the Holy Church...

Some us, the followers and disciples of Christ, were called to this level of intensity. So were not, having lived faithfully the commandment of love of their neighbors day by day in their worthy lives.

There are several levels of this intensity in our lives. The basic one would be this - as described by one of the pastors of the Church: "Well, folks, if we are to live together in heaven for eternity, I guess we'd better get used to each other right now!'

Think about it.