What More Could He Have Done?

     I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

 

     As we journey through this season of Lent, most of us will at some point, think about the crucifixion of Christ.  Maybe we will attend the Stations of the Cross one week, or maybe we will attend the Palm Sunday Mass where we get to be the ones to yell out, "Crucify Him, Crucify, Him!"  We will remember his excruciating death during the next 40 days, but then Easter will pass and we will shout out, "He is risen, " and we will begin to forget once again.  We will begin to get distracted once again.  We will begin to say yes to the devil instead of to Christ once again.  As I was listening to a podcast today by Father Larry Richards, he asked a question that led me to write this blog:

 

What more could He have done for us?

 

      He did His part.  He died for our sins. He saved us by dying on the cross.  He paid the ultimate price.  We get to go to Heaven because of what HE did, not because of what WE do.  I hear people say to me all of the time, "I don't have to go to Church.  I'm a good person."  I don't have to do good works, I'm already saved!"  You're right!  You are already saved.  He paid the price.  But, that isn't the end of the story.  His death on the cross was only the beginning.  Now, it is our turn to prove to Him that His death mattered.  How do we prove this to Him?  We prove it by the way that we live.  We prove it by being crucified with Him so that when others look at us, they only see Him.  We prove it by living out his commandment, "Love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34)  I know that I don't HAVE to do this, but it is the least I can do to prove to Him that His sacrifice mattered.  Can I give up an hour once a week to go to Mass?  YES.  Can I give up Facebook for 40 days?  YES.  Can I forgive the person who hurt me? YES.  Why?  Because it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me. 

 

     That is what I want to work on for the next 40 days.  I want to be crucified with Christ.  I want Him to take up residence in my heart, so that He not only lives in me, but radiates throughout me!

I mean, If His death on the cross didn't prove His love for me, then what else could He have done?  That alone is reason enough for me to live a life saying YES to Him!