A year and a half ago I began a private daily reflection which I called “Going Deeper”.  It was began when the daily reflection called “Eugene de Mazenod speaks to us” which I had been following was taking a break for Christmas.  The author of that blog suggested to those of us who wished for more that we might consider ‘going deeper’ and visit links to all of St. Eugene’s writings, which of course I promptly did.  Even when the blog restarted after Christmas I continued my private reflections – they did not replace Frank Santucci’s daily reflections but rather they somehow complimented and added to them.  This past January I started this blog of my own, born out of those daily reflections.

I have been noticing that with this daily practice which has now become a staple in my life, a part of how I live through my days I have begun to look at things a little differently, with a little more love.

Today is Passion Sunday, what we used to call Palm Sunday in the church.  We will wave palm branches at church and will listed to the Passion of Christ being read at the Masses.  It began last evening at Mass and I will do it again when I go to Church this morning.  It was a little different yesterday evening.  The reading of the passion, of Jesus’s betrayal, his ‘trial’ and crucifixion has always been stark, evoking deep emotions  within me.  But something was added last night, a new dimension was added to it.  During the reading I certainly saw Jesus, but in the midst of it all I also related it to St. Eugene de Mazenod and his ordeal when he was Bishop of Icosia (which has been my Lenten journey of reflection and which has been posted here).

This has been sheer grace.  It is like seeing with new eyes.  I have spent much time asking God for the grace to see through the eyes of Jesus – that is with infinite love and mercy.

Ron Rolheiser, OMI calls this type of seeing as “Seeing in A Deeper Way” and offers practical ways of achieving this in his article from earlier this month.  This type of going deeper is changing me, how I think and live, how I see with new eyes.