FOLLOW THE REDEEMER

         Follow me

It’s by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done

To be so in love with you and so alone

 Follow me where I go

 what I do and who I know
 Make it part of you

 to be a part of me
 Follow me up and down

 all the way and all around
 Take my hand

 and say you’ll follow me

 It’s long been on my mind
 You know it’s been a long, long time
 I’ve tried to find the way that I can make
 you understand
 The way I feel about you and just how
 much I need you
 To be there where I can talk to you
 When there’s no one else around

 Follow me where I go what I do and
 who I know
 Make it part of you to be a part of me
 Follow me up and down all the way and
 all around
 Take my hand and say you’ll follow me

 You see I’d like to share my life with you
 And show you things I’ve seen
 Places that I’m going to places where
 I’ve been
 To have you there beside me and never
 be alone
 And all the time that you’re with me
 We will be at home

 Follow me where I go what I do and
 who I know
 Make it part of you to be a part of me
 Follow me up and down all the way
 Take my hand and I will follow you

John Denver

The Third Sunday of July is the Feast of the Most Holy Redeemer: the official title of the Order of the Redemptoristines and the Congregation of the Redemptorists.  It is always a day of celebration.  And music is always part of the celebration. Recently I heard the John Denver song, ‘Follow Me’ on the radio. I love that song. It took me back to my younger days.  I found myself humming it the next few days.  When I reflected on why it touched me so, I realized the refrain of the song: ‘Follow me, where I go, what I do, and who I know, make it part of you to be a part of me. Follow me up and down all the way and all around.  Take my hand and say you’ll follow me,’ was an invitation to follow Jesus. 

Also touching is the introduction to that song.  He sings, ‘It is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done, to be so in love with you and so alone.’  I always thought he was saying, ‘for so long.’     But either way it gave me pause because it speaks to me of the call to fidelity in life.   When I reflected on the song as a whole it seemed it could be a dialogue between two lovers. Which one is ‘so alone’? 

To me, it sounds like both; it is hard for each one to be in love and longing for the other, wanting to ‘make it part of you to be a part of me’ and trying to figure out how, despite difficulties, to find a way to be together. The last line of the song resolves the situation by one surrendering to the other.  Before, one was saying to the other ‘take my hand and say you’ll follow me’ but now the one says, ‘Take my hand and I will follow you.’ 

The invitation to follow in any relationship, including our relationship with God, always comes with a call to surrender.  Even Jesus, the Man-God, surrendered his life to the Father – think of Jesus in the Garden saying, ‘Not as I will but as you will.’ Lk 22: 42   Jesus gave his all for love – love for God and love for you and me. 

Being visual person, an image came to my mind to illustrate this invitation to follow Jesus.   The statue in front of our monastery in Foggia, Italy is entitled, ‘The Wayfarer;’ one of Blessed Celeste’s favorite titles for our Holy Redeemer.  The statue of the Wayfarer portrays Jesus standing there with arms outstretched.  What does his stance say to me, to you?

To me it looks like he is about to place his hands around my shoulder, and on the shoulder of who ever is on the other side: you, you, you…each one of you. That made me think of a yoke; as in Jesus saying, ‘Come to me all who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest, take up my yoke and learn for me, for I am gentle and humble of heart.’  Mt. 11:28   Earlier in July we heard this Gospel read on Sunday.  From it I heard an invitation.

I reflected on the image of the yoke. I’ve only seen pictures of a yoke of oxen. The yoke is a curved piece of wood that fits over the shoulders of two draft animals so they can work together.  That is what Jesus is like: He is the yoke that holds us together and guides our lives in a gentle manner; not by force but by love and an invitation to go with him, follow him.

Jesus, the Wayfarer was the love of Celeste’s life! She followed him in her own time and place. Our call, as Redemptoristine Nuns, and yours, is the same.  Our constitutions say, ‘The more we strive to live the love of Christ, the more the thoughts and feelings of Christ will fill our spirit and our heart, the more we will become His faithful images and the more also we will be able to be true witnesses of the love of Him who is our Beginning and our End, our Way and our Life.’  (Associate Constitutions #5)

Like Celeste, let us each be a ‘Viva Memoria,’ the living memory of Jesus the Wayfarer/ the Redeemer to be a participant in God’s loving plan of redemption.

Do you hear the invitation?

Follow me where I go

What I do and who I know;

Make it part of you to be a part of me.

Follow me up and down all the way
Take my hand and I will follow you.