By Saint Nicholas Cabasilas
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God loved the human person! God’s love was so great that “He emptied Himself taking the form of a bondservant” (Philippians 2:7). God did not simply call man so that man may only be “close to Him.” God did not only “call” the sinful man, but, He descended from heaven and searched for sinful man; He searched for the criminal; He searched for him who was condemned and lost.
God, who is rich in mercies, visits the spirit of man, and by His visit He reveals His love and longing for man. When God sees that He was rejected by the sinner whom He loved, He does not depart from him, but, He remains standing at the door of the soul of the sinner, knocking and waiting. God is not impatient toward sinners, for by God’s love and longsuffering He chose to become a human being like us. He chose to endure the Passion and suffer and die upon the Cross for the sake of the beloved. Is there a love greater than this? It could have been possible for God to redeem man without having the need to suffer. But as One who is Merciful, He chose His benevolence thusly. He took upon Himself the form of a bondservant in order to express His boundless love for us. “He emptied Himself,” He suffered, He endured the pains of the Cross, and He endured all forms of humiliation, in order to bring back the prodigal human person to His heavenly Father.
What is both strange and wondrous is the following: Not only did God endure such extreme suffering; not only did He die by His wounds and blood; but, He continues to bear the marks of His sufferings even after the Resurrection. As the angels beheld the stripes of these wounds, and the marks of the nails, they accounted them as the greatest trophy. The Lord rejoiced when men pointed out these wounds and marks. The Savior’s pure Body is glorified and immortal. The Savior, for His love toward mankind, chose to keep the wounds of the Cross and the marks of the nails, as He invited Thomas to see, feel, and examine. Through these wounds which He endured on the Cross He found the lost sheep and redeemed man whom He loved.
Due to His love for us, Christ maintains these wounds even while sitting on the heavenly throne as a glorified King. By doing so, He glorifies and elevates human nature. The Savior loves us all, and He calls us all to His heavenly Kingdom. He sets us free from the bondage of sin, and makes us children of the Heavenly Father! He opens heaven to all and guides us into the right Way! He grants us spiritual wings with which we can ascend into the sublime heights! As He beholds us overtaken by laziness, He quickly awakens us! I have never seen a more honorable love than this! Not only did He bestow on us His heavenly blessings, but through Holy Communion He offers Himself wholly to us and makes us a living temple for God. Our bodies are members of Christ, and the heavenly Cherubim bow down and worship Christ who is the Head of these members.
