Fr Alan said, "There are no depths that we can fall as Christ has gone lower". Imagine God the Father allowing Jesus to go into hell after he was murdered. What was Jesus doing in hell for three days? He was recusing our forefathers. Heaven was closed after the fall of Adam and Eve and these poor good people, like Adam, Eve, Abraham and others had to wait in hell for Jesus to rescue them.
Fr Alan had a similar icon to the one below in the sacristy of St Charles' Ogle Street, London W1. The icon is called "Christ’s Descent into Hades" and in this icon, you see Christ rescuing Adam and Eve.
So, Jesus has conquered death and we have nothing to fear anymore and even if we have gone to "hell" in our crisis, do not worry. Jesus has gone lower!
By the way, Fr Alan said, "Our sins have put Jesus on the cross!" Imagine this! This is not to give us psychological problems worrying about our sins, but to help us realise that it was not the Romans who put Jesus on the cross. Jesus climbed onto the cross and he consummated his marriage there on the cross. When I first heard Fr Alan saying this, I was struck very hard and realised the buck stopped with me. Fr Alan has taught me to stop thinking other people should change and it is me who must change.
Some people think they cannot change. Fr Alan said, "Do not believe in the lie of the Devil and think you cannot change." Everybody can change with the help of God.
Another explanation of "There are no depths that we can fall as Christ has gone lower" could be the kenosis of Jesus. Jesus, God and King, became man, accused as a criminal, put on the cross, and died. This has conquered death and we therefore have little to fear.
All of us as Christians, are called to walk the path of Jesus and this means we too will experience kenosis in our journey towards God the Father. Therefore at some point, all of us will experience this self-emptying.
Fr Alan also said, "Christ is mercy within mercy within mercy! Fr Alan talked about mercy even before Pope Francis called for the Year of Mercy. Yes, Jesus is pure mercy.
When I went to confession with Fr Alan, he would say to me, "Throw yourself onto the Throne of Mercy!"
You know God is sitting on the Throne in heaven with Jesus on his right. Fr Alan said, "Jesus is our advocate." And so each time the devil comes in front of God the Father accusing you or me, Jesus would stand up in front of God the Father and show to God the Father his wounds, to remind God the Father that our sins have been forgiven. This is why Father Alan kept on saying to us, "Christ is mercy with mercy within mercy!"
Don't you think this is just beautiful?
Finally, Elizabeth reminded me that Fr Alan said, "Do not put brackets on God's power!" Fr Alan said "God loves us so much that he respects us." So if we were to put brackets on any part of our lives, God would not enter into it. So if we have a slavery to something and we put brackets around this sin, God will not interfere with that aspect of our lives. So to encourage us to walk towards holiness, Fr Alan encouraged us to have courage not to put brackets around our lives in front of God.
Dear Sweet Jesus, thank you for always having mercy on us and asking for mercy for us in front of God the Father. Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for my sins. Dear Sweet Jesus, please enter into my life and clear the mess and bring me towards God the Father. Amen.
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