Yesterday during Mass I had a vision of Jesus in a series of circles, much like a dart board. He of course was at the center and we, meaning all the people in the world, were scattered around Him. No one was in the exact center as He was, but some were in the next circles and all those around it, some weren't in any circle, but at least on the board and others were way off the board. It was impossible to see them all because the further away from the center of the board, the darker it was. So some were in the light and others were in complete darkness.
Those closest to the center, that is to say, closest to Jesus, were those attending Mass every chance they had (there are some who desire daily Mass, but are unable to attend due to illness or work), praying rosaries, doing holy hours, frequent confession, and prayers throughout the day, making a conscience effort to keep Jesus in their heart and minds throughout the day.
The further from the center, the less time people spent thinking about Jesus and fostering a relationship with Him. Those who attend Mass only on Sunday, to fulfill their “obligation” were not very close to the center, because their hearts are not involved.
The significance here is how much recourse we have to our Lord. Obviously those in the closest circle around Jesus need only reach out to touch Him, to ask His assistance, and He is right there to aid them. This isn't to say our Lord does not hear the prayers of the others, even those in the darkness, but those closest to Him know His voice, they heed His voice and they trust in Him. They are comfortable with our Lord. The further one is from Jesus, the less likely they are to recognize His voice when He speaks and feel His loving hands upon them as He comforts them.
The further one is from Jesus, the harder it is to gaze upon Him because they are not accustomed to His bright countenance. The light exposes them and their deeds....and do not think that those in the closer circles are fully immersed in the light, because any circle outside of Christ's begins to dim. Our love determines which circle we are in. We must be attending Mass, begging for mercy in the confessional and seeking His forgiveness and living in His presence constantly and we must also be encouraging others closer to the center.
When we draw near to God, He does draw near to us.
