Rejected: Did You Feel This Way, Jesus?

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Did you ever feel so rejected, Lord,
Your love so neglected, Lord,
Before your ministry began,
Before your baptism into the Spirit of Divine Mission?

Did you ever feel the pain of a friend leaving you
Or a relative refusing to care about you
While you lived the human journey like I do,
While you lived the ordinary life of unity with my life?

Prayers - Did You Feel This Way, Jesus? - St. Augustine — This prayer-poem is dedicated to the patronage of St. Augustine, whose mother’s prayers and tears helped restore him to the Faith.

Did you really know how
the father of the Prodigal Son felt
As his unrequited love yearned in prayer
for the son’s return
Longing to be loved as he loved,
Longing to give love to the one who ignored his love?

Did you lose someone you cared about
To the deceptions and temptations of the world?
Did you try to pursue her like a good shepherd
Only to find her preferring to disbelieve the good in you?

How did you know how much the Father longs for the child
And how much He celebrates each child’s return?
What made you want to become the Good Shepherd
Putting everything aside to restore lost lambs to the Father’s care?

My own pain of being rejected and neglected by the ones I love,
My own broken-hearted yearnings for the lost to be found
Are a sweet union with you, my Lord,
A bitter-sweet understanding of how the Father grieves
Over every child that leaves His love,
And how you felt, Lord Jesus,
When you told the story of the lamb
Who came back to the arms of love.

In this knowledge, my sweet Lord,
In this bitter suffering of union with you, my Beloved,
I am healed by helping you in your Divine Mission
Of helping other lost children
Discover the healing love of your Passion.