Uniting our Rejection with Christ's

Holly Novotny offers a reflection on feeling rejected by those we love.

We can probably relate to feeling rejected by people we love. I think of my own experience after my conversion, when family members were confused by my choice of the Catholic Church -- I even had a grandmother say she was sad for me, since I had “chosen to go to hell.” When I expressed the truth of God’s love for me and His welcoming me into His very Body, this Church which Jesus established through the Apostles, I was mocked and accused of blasphemy.

When I reflect on this now, I didn’t recognize it as an invitation from the Lord to unite this rejection with His own and to see His humanity in a way that draws me even closer to Who He really is. Of course, now that I do see this small shared experience, I pray for deeper intimacy in my friendship with Him.

As baptized Christians, we are invited into the divine life of the Trinity, and empowered by the Spirit to proclaim liberty to captives and proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. This call to become like Jesus requires perseverance and faith in the power of the Holy Spirit at work, in both transforming us into the image of Christ and in proclaiming His marvelous love to others.

And just as Jesus experienced in today's Gospel passage, some will not accept what we say, and will not even see us as the Father sees us, but we speak anyway. We are invited to share in this mission in a tangible and profound way, whether we proclaim love and act in tender mercy as we serve our children and family, or we are called to share in the work of the apostles by restoring sight to the blind and setting captives free in the name of Jesus Christ.

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This call to become like Jesus requires perseverance and faith in the power of the Holy Spirit. #catholicmom

Where is Jesus inviting me to see His humanity in a new way, that I might embrace Him as Redeemer AND a trusted friend who understands my human experiences?

Prayer

Jesus, give me hunger for Your Word, that I might know You more fully and grow in wisdom so I can act with courage to proclaim the truth with a spirit of love.

Copyright 2021 Holly Novotny
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About the author: Holly Novotny is a wife and mother of two young adult daughters. The Lord’s mercy and grace continue to transform her into His original plan, much to her astonishment and joy. She is a Lifetime Marian Servant and as a graduate of the Cenacle School of Spirituality offers spiritual direction in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Podcast: numinous.fm/redeemer