Good morning good people may the Lord give you grace, peace and health in the Holy Spirit.
It is 06th January 2022.
We reflect on 1 John 4:19 – 5:4 and Luke 4:14-22.
“Real love is demanding. I would fail in my mission if I did not tell you so. Love demands a personal commitment to the will of God.” Says St. John Paul II
At the end of a busy day, a man and his wife were sitting down to have a glass of wine together. They were so silent for a long time as they were sipping the drops of wine. The wife broke the silence saying, “I love you so much I don’t know I could ever live without you. Hearing this the husband asked: “Is that you or the wine talking?” She replied, “It’s me … talking to the wine.”
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. So, the proof of believing is in love. When love does not sync in our life, our beliefs will not link with God.
To believe and to love is the programme and manifesto of our life. These are not two different actions. The hindsight of believing is seen in loving and loving is the proof of believing. The more we compartmentalize these two, the greater we corrupt them.
St. John so beautifully intertwines both belief and love in today’s passage. “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” (1 Jn. 4:20)
With all honesty, we all have someone with whom we have issues of hatred and misunderstanding. Relationships are not that so easy, rosy, and beautiful as it is presented always. Whether we acknowledge it or not there will be someone to irrigate or irritate us in love.
Even when humanity offended and hurt God so much, God took the initiative in sending us His Only Son Jesus to reconnect us in love. In our personal and family life, each one of us needs to initiate loving the one who hurt us so much even amidst disappointments, indifference, and lack of reciprocity.
The Gospel presents us with the inclusive love of Jesus as He presented the vision of His mission. As He unrolled the scroll, he rolled out a carpet of love that provides everyone space to express themselves without stamping on the feet of the others. Loving everyone is the lesson and good news we all need to imbibe from Jesus.
Do our programme and mission include everyone?
Are we still remaining selective, suspicious, suppressing, and surrogating in believing in love?