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32. The heart of Christ, as the symbol of the deepest and most personal source of his love for us,is the very core of the initial preaching of the Gospel. It stands at the origin of our faith, as thewellspring that refreshes and enlivens our Christian beliefs.ACTIONS THAT REFLECT THE HEART33. Christ showed the depth of his love for us not by lengthy explanations but by concrete actions.By examining his interactions with others, we can come to realize how he treats each one of us,even though at times this may be difficult to see. Let us now turn to the place where our faith canencounter this truth: the word of God.34. The Gospel tells us that Jesus %u201ccame to his own%u201d (cf. Jn 1:11). Those words refer to us, for theLord does not treat us as strangers but as a possession that he watches over and cherishes. Hetreats us truly as %u201chis own%u201d. This does not mean that we are his slaves, something that he himselfdenies: %u201cI do not call you servants%u201d (Jn 15:15). Rather, it refers to the sense of mutual belongingtypical of friends. Jesus came to meet us, bridging all distances; he became as close to us as thesimplest, everyday realities of our lives. Indeed, he has another name, %u201cEmmanuel%u201d, which means%u201cGod with us%u201d, God as part of our lives, God as living in our midst. The Son of God becameincarnate and %u201cemptied himself, taking the form of a slave%u201d (Phil 2:7).35. This becomes clear when we see Jesus at work. He seeks people out, approaches them, everopen to an encounter with them. We see it when he stops to converse with the Samaritan womanat the well where she went to draw water (cf. Jn 4:5-7). We see it when, in the darkness of night,he meets Nicodemus, who feared to be seen in his presence (cf. Jn 3:1-2). We marvel when heallows his feet to be washed by a prostitute (cf. Lk 7:36-50), when he says to the woman caught inadultery, %u201cNeither do I condemn you%u201d (Jn 8:11), or again when he chides the disciples for theirindifference and quietly asks the blind man on the roadside, %u201cWhat do you want me to do for you?%u201d(Mk 10:51). Christ shows that God is closeness, compassion and tender love.36. Whenever Jesus healed someone, he preferred to do it, not from a distance but in closeproximity: %u201cHe stretched out his hand and touched him%u201d ( Mt 8:3). %u201cHe touched her hand%u201d ( Mt8:15). %u201cHe touched their eyes%u201d ( Mt 9:29). Once he even stopped to cure a deaf man with his ownsaliva (cf. Mk 7:33), as a mother would do, so that people would not think of him as removed fromtheir lives. %u201cThe Lord knows the fine science of the caress. In his compassion, God does not loveus with words; he comes forth to meet us and, by his closeness, he shows us the depth of histender love%u201d. [27]37. If we find it hard to trust others because we have been hurt by lies, injuries anddisappointments, the Lord whispers in our ear: %u201cTake heart, son!%u201d (Mt 9:2), %u201cTake heart, daughter!%u201d(Mt 9:22). He encourages us to overcome our fear and to realize that, with him at our side, wehave nothing to lose. To Peter, in his fright, %u201cJesus immediately reached out his hand and caught9