Hunting Souls for Christ

Divine Appeal Reflection - 143

Today, consider in Divine Appeal 143:  "My thirst for souls is ever new. Hunt souls for Me. My Love is always the same."

One of the deepest mystical dimensions of the command "Hunt souls for Me" is that Jesus is inviting souls not merely into an apostolate but into participation in the very movements of His Sacred Heart. Before creation itself, the Son eternally loved every soul that would one day exist. His thirst for souls did not begin at Calvary; Calvary revealed outwardly what had existed eternally within the Heart of God (cf. Eph 1:3-5). Every soul was desired before it was created, loved before it existed, (cf. Jer 1:5; Rom 8:29-30) and called before it responded . When Jesus says, "Hunt souls for Me," He is inviting be souls into this eternal divine longing. Most Christians desire holiness for themselves. Few desire holiness for others with the same intensity Christ desires it. The saints eventually reached this point. Their greatest sorrow was not personal suffering but seeing souls drift from God. Moses was willing to stand between Israel and divine justice (cf. Ex 32:30-32). Jeremiah (cf. Jer 9:1) wept over a people who refused conversion . St. Catherine of Siena offered sacrifices for the renewal of the Church. Such souls had entered the interior concerns of Jesus Himself. They were no longer living only their own lives; (cf. Gal 2:20) they were living something of Christ's life within them . The tragedy of modern spirituality is that many seek peace, blessings, and consolation while remaining indifferent to the eternal destiny of others. Yet the closer a soul approaches the Heart of Jesus, the more it begins to ache for souls. The proof of deep union with Christ is often not extraordinary experiences but an increasing participation in His thirst for the salvation of humanity (cf. Jn 17:20-24).

Another profound mystical dimension is that hunting souls begins in hidden communion before it manifests in visible mission. The apostles (cf. Mk 3:13-15) first lived with Jesus before they preached Jesus . Mary Magdalene first encountered the Risen Lord before announcing Him (cf. Jn 20:11-18). The Samaritan woman (cf. Jn 4:28-30) first allowed Christ to reveal her wounds before she became an evangelizer . Modern culture frequently emphasizes activity, productivity, and visible results. Christ often begins in silence. Souls are won first in prayer before they are won in action. The hidden hours spent before the Blessed Sacrament may obtain more conversions than countless public efforts (cf. CCC 2711). This is why the greatest missionaries have almost always been great contemplatives. Before carrying souls across nations, they first carried them before God. St. Francis Xavier drew strength from prayer because he understood that conversion is ultimately the work of grace, not merely human effort . Consider a grandmother faithfully praying the Rosary for grandchildren who no longer attend Mass, a priest making a Holy Hour for parishioners who rarely pray, a religious sister interceding for young people trapped in addiction, or an elderly man offering physical suffering for those dying without the sacraments. The world may see little happening, but Heaven sees souls being sought, touched, and surrounded by grace through these hidden acts of love (cf. Col 1:24; Jas 5:16; 1 Tim 2:1–4). This is the mystery of "hunting souls" for Christ. It begins on one's knees before it reaches the streets, classrooms, hospitals, missions, or families. Without prayer, apostolic action quickly turns into a human endeavour that depends on human strength and output. Eternity will show how many souls were reached because someone continued to pray faithfully, even though the hidden intercessor may never see the results.  

A particularly striking mystical aspect of this appeal is that Jesus asks us to hunt souls not merely because they are lost but because they are infinitely valuable. Heaven evaluates a soul very differently from the world. The world values productivity, beauty, influence, wealth, intelligence, and status. Christ evaluates every person according to the price paid for redemption: His Precious Blood . Consider the shepherd (cf. Lk 15:4-7) who leaves ninety-nine sheep for one lost sheep . Human calculations would consider this unreasonable. Divine love does not calculate according to efficiency but according to love. The same mystery appears in the woman who searches relentlessly for one lost coin (cf. Lk 15:8-10) and in the father (cf. Lk 15:20) who watches constantly for one prodigal son . Every soul carries an eternal destiny. Every person encountered today will exist forever either in eternal communion with God or in eternal separation from Him . This realization transformed the saints. St. John Bosco looked at troubled boys and saw future saints.  St. Damien of Molokai chose to live among the lepers because he recognized in those rejected by society the very face of Christ, seeing beloved children of God where others saw only disease, isolation, and hopelessness . His love emanated from a spiritual vision that saw each soul's everlasting destiny and dignity beyond external circumstances.  In practical life, hunting souls means learning to see beyond appearances. The difficult colleague may be carrying wounds no one knows about, the hostile atheist may be secretly searching for truth, the rebellious teenager may be longing for guidance, and the elderly neighbor living alone may be waiting for a simple sign that they are loved and remembered . What appears as resistance is often hidden suffering; what appears as indifference may conceal a deep hunger for God. This is a profoundly mystical vision. It sees eternity hidden within ordinary encounters and recognizes that every person is more than their behavior, failures, or circumstances. Every soul becomes sacred ground because it is loved by God, redeemed by Christ, and continually sought by divine mercy . To look at others in this way is already to participate in the Heart of Jesus, who never stops seeing what grace can accomplish in a soul. 

Another deeply contemplative dimension is that hunting souls often requires participation in the sufferings of Christ. The Sacred Heart does not thirst for souls without pain. Every rejection of grace wounds divine love. Jesus wept (cf. Lk 19:41-44) over Jerusalem because it resisted the day of visitation . He lamented the hardness of hearts (cf. Mk 3:5). He endured Gethsemane (cf. Mt 26:36-46) while carrying humanity within His Heart . The saints who entered most deeply into Christ's love also entered deeply into His concern for souls. St. Faustina Kowalska willingly offered prayers and sufferings for sinners, understanding that divine mercy continually seeks those furthest from God (cf Lk 15:4–7; Col 1:24). St. Padre Pio spent countless hours in the confessional because he carried within his heart a profound desire that no soul be lost, laboring tirelessly to reconcile people with God . This remains true today. A mother praying for a son trapped in addiction participates in Christ's sorrow. Parents grieving children who have abandoned the faith participate in Christ's sorrow. Priests who remain faithful despite indifference participate in Christ's sorrow. Missionaries laboring in difficult conditions participate in Christ's sorrow. Such suffering is not wasted. Every tear offered for souls enters mysteriously into the redemptive mission of Jesus (cf. Col 1:24). Some souls will only return to God because someone loved them enough to suffer for them. Hunting souls therefore demands more than enthusiasm. It requires carrying something of Christ's own burden for humanity. The hunter of souls learns that love often costs, but every sacrifice united to Christ becomes fruitful in ways hidden from human eyes (cf. Jn 12:24).

At the highest mystical level, "Hunt souls for Me" is an invitation to become a living extension of the Sacred Heart in the world. The saints teach that the final stages of holiness consist in profound conformity to Christ. The soul gradually desires what He desires, (cf. Phil 2:5; CCC 521) grieves over what grieves Him, and rejoices in what glorifies the Father . Such a soul begins to view every moment through the lens of eternity. Conversations are no longer random. Relationships are no longer accidental. Sufferings are no longer meaningless. Work is no longer merely employment. Everything becomes part of Christ's search for souls. The teacher enters a classroom carrying Christ's concern for students. The doctor sees patients through the eyes of divine mercy. The parent views children as souls entrusted by God. The religious carries humanity before the Eucharistic Lord. The elderly person confined to a room becomes a hidden missionary through prayer. This is the spirituality of the Sacred Heart. Jesus thirsts because His love is infinite. He hunts because every soul matters. He invites mankind into this mission because He desires to continue seeking humanity through them . Ultimately, the greatest hunters of souls are not necessarily those who accomplish spectacular works but those who allow Christ to love through them. Their hearts become united with His Eucharistic Heart, their prayers become extensions of His intercession before the Father , and their lives become living instruments through which His mercy reaches the world. One day in heaven, countless souls may reveal that their conversion began because someone quietly accepted Christ's invitation and spent a lifetime hunting souls for Him .

Prayer

O Adorable Jesus, Your love for souls is infinite and Your mercy never ceases to seek the lost. Fill our hearts with zeal for holiness, that we may lead others to You by prayer, sacrifice, and example . Strengthen us in virtue, guide us by Your mercy, and make us faithful witnesses of Your saving love. Amen.

Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.