Jesus, from eternity God proclaims, “Behold My Son, the beloved. Heed Him!” You lived God’s will in the ordinary human joys and struggles of infancy, childhood, and manhood. As a man like other men, You learned a trade and undertook a mission. All the while, You prayed. You suffered greatly, yet with redemptive love.
Jesus, You love us enough to become human and to live in poverty. You love us enough to share creatively and joyously in our humanity and to accept human flaws humbly. You love us enough to strive against ignorance, hypocrisy, and selfishness to create the path to God for everyone. You loved us enough to die in immense misery of soul and body for redemption of each person.
Jesus, as God, You know who I am created to be. As man, You experienced my human weaknesses, fears and hopes. In Your abandonment, You experienced my ache of separation from God and the fear of suffering that makes dying difficult. Convert me in image of Your love, so that the eternal Father, beholding You in me, can say, “Behold my beloved child in whom I am well pleased!”