“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” (Luke 11:28).
There is a beautiful story about a man who encounters God and stands with God looking back over his life and seeing the footprints he left in the sand as he walked through each stage of his life.
In most parts of his life there were two sets of footprints, but in certain spots – when things were very difficult – there was only one set of footprints. The man asked God whose footprints he could see walking beside his own during his life, and God answered that God Himself had walked beside the man and therefore those footprints had been made by God Himself. And the man then grew upset and asked why there was only one set of footprints during the most difficult times of his life. And God answered that there was only one set during the difficult times because it was during those times that God Himself was carrying the man, rather than allowing him to walk…
And I have been reflecting on this today as I have been recalling the story of Saint Josemaría’s initial call to his vocation of priesthood…
During the winter of 1917, Saint Josemaría was only fifteen years old. He was walking – one early morning – through the little Spanish town of Logroño in the early hours of the morning. Ahead of him, he suddenly noticed some footprints of bare feet in the snow. Intrigued, he followed the trail and came across the Carmelite friar whose feet had made the prints.
The young Saint was completely dumbfounded and wondered to himself, “What about me? Am I not going to be able to offer Him anything?”
And that moment changed the course of his life forever because though other people saw those footprints that day, it was only the Saint who really SAW what they meant…
“The Jews gathered round Him and said to Him, ‘How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness to Me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.’” (John 10:22-30).
And I understand that story a little more today because I understand the story of the footprints. You see, Christ’s Sheep know their Shepherd and recognise Him. And this is why Christ said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” (Luke 11:28).
And it occurs to me today that if I really want to number myself among Christ’s sheep, then I really must start to see – not only the bare footprints in the snow – but the MEANING behind them as well. For if Saint Josemaría had looked at those footprints the way that I look at them, he would not have become a Saint.
And it occurs to me today that such a thing would be a terrible terrible tragedy indeed!
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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