Sometimes we forget that we can’t get to God on our own. It is easy to fall into the thinking that if we pray enough rosaries, read enough Scripture, or do enough penance that we can work our way to salvation. But that’s not how it works.

Recently on Heart to Heart, Mother Miriam reflected on the beautiful fact that even though we can’t get to God on our own, God shows His love for us by coming to us each and every day. She said:

“Man has been trying to get to God through sacrifices, through painting themselves, through mutilating themselves, through all kinds of religions that they’ve made up. But they can’t get to God.

God knew that, and He wanted to show us that we were helpless, that we could do nothing to save ourselves. And in an act of love beyond what anyone will ever comprehend, because mankind could not get to God, God became man and came to us to show us the way.

He could show us the way, but we could never get there unless we come through Him, the only perfect sacrifice. The sinless Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Passover Lamb, died on the Cross to give us life and to pay for our sins. And He rose again to give us life.

But He didn’t stop there, beloved. He never ceases coming to us. He knows that we weren’t there on Calvary, and that the story has been passed down through the ages. But it hasn’t been passed down just through word of mouth and through the Scriptures.

God Himself has made Himself present. The lamb, for sinners slain, comes down Himself. As He went up on the Cross at Calvary, He comes through time down on the Cross at the altar of every Catholic Church, every single moment of time somewhere in the world through the words of the priest.

Now, He’s not re-sacrificed. The one sacrifice of Calvary can never be repeated, but it is an eternal sacrifice.  And God comes through time, at the words of the priest, Our Lord in His great condescension becomes present on that altar. And we are there with Him, as if we were at Calvary, and we offer ourselves through Him, with Him, and in Him to the Father.

And what do we have to do to be saved? Do we have to be good enough, do we have to get our act together, do we have to be holy enough, do we have to make up enough for all our sins? The answer is no, because we cannot. Even if we were willing, even if we could sacrifice 1,000 lifetimes, it wouldn’t be good enough.

One sin, which we’ve already committed, every one of us, is enough to separate us from God for all eternity. To say we’re sorry won’t get us there. If we’re truly repentant, and we come with a humble and contrite heart, we know that we could never get to God. We know that, and so we call on His mercy. We say, ‘Lord, you are holy and good, and I want to be saved. I want you to save me, and I know I can offer nothing to you but my sinful, broken life. And that’s what I give you, Lord, because it’s the only thing I have to give you. ‘

And Jesus would say that is all you need to do. Give your life to Him. Go to the Church He founded. He founded a Church to help us get to Him.”

Listen to the full reflection below:

Heart to Heart with Mother Miriam airs weekdays at 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific on Relevant Radio.

 

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