Jesus, Redeemer of the world,
with loving-kindness deign to receive
suppliant praise and prayer.
Thou who once deigned to be clothed in flesh
for the sake of the lost,
grant us to be members
of thy blessed body.
Lux Aeterna: "O Nata Lux"; Composer: Morten Lauridsen; Conductor: Paul Salamunovich; Los Angeles Master Chorale and Sinfonia Orchestra
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Hosea 2: 19-20 —"And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord."
1 Nephi 19:9 — "And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men."
Personal Reflection
As I ponder these scripture verses, they reinforce my belief that simply emulating Christ (as His disciples) is not our ultimate destiny as literal children of God. Heavenly Father and the Savior, Jesus Christ, desire us to be one with Him. Not physically, but agentively. Why did Jehovah continually refer to himself as the "bridegroom" when addressing the baptized members of His Church? It seems clear to me that Christ wants us to be more than His "friends" or "followers." He has covenanted with all those who honor their Priesthood, and diligently follow the Savior—that, if they are true and faithful, they will become co-beneficiaries with Him in "all that the Father hath." This is tricky for me to explain—I think there is a difference between striving to turn ourselves into perfect "copies" of Christ, and actually unifying ourselves with Him, like perfect partners. I.e., Christ does not command us to become perfected on our own. Rather, he has asked us to unite ourselves with Him, allowing his grace to cover our imperfections (Moroni 10:32). By sacrificing our wills on Christ's alter, we invite Him to become one with us. In this way, we can come to truly know Him and the Father (as referenced in the John 17:3).Personal Application
As an experiment, I'm going to stop asking in my prayers for God to help me become more like Christ, and instead, pray to become more united with Christ. I hope this tweak in expressions will help me remember my desire to surrender my will to Him. Additionally, as a teacher, I will change my thinking from, "how can I teach more like the Savior," to, "how can I better teach with the Savior?"
P.s. Dear family,
Please play "O Nata Lux" for me on repeat as I lay dying, and then again at my funeral. I feel so close to God every single time I listen to it. It is the perfect hymn. The music. The message. Everything about it directs the suppliant pilgrim home.
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