Scripture:
Ephesians 4:32-5:8
Luke 13:10-17
Reflection:
Precious Love of God
Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,
as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us
as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma. EPH 15:19 Ps 36:7
Psalm 139:7 states one of the most beautiful sentences in the Scripture. “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.” One of the most romantic scenes in movie history, Casablanca, is Humphry Bogart’s words to Ingrid Bergman “here is looking at you, kid”! Could you even in your wildest imagination see God taking you by the chin and saying this to you? Saint Augustine describes our relationship with God: “To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.”
The ultimate word about God’s love for us is that He gave His Only Begotten Son to die for us. We must never stop being startled that we mean so much to God! We must be humble enough to realize we are not in the loving eye of God only because of our good looks.
There is the story of a little girl I saw when visiting her parents. I asked her to show me her favorite doll. She had lots of beautiful dolls, but the one she showed me was the ugliest one I ever saw! It was old and wore out. The hair was mostly gone and an arm was missing. “Why is this your favorite doll?” She answered: “If I don’t love this doll, nobody will.”
I think the little girl’s answer was very insightful. Nothing attracts God’s mercy like humility. Pope St John XX111 has a beautiful quote on our need of God’s merciful love. “I live by the mercy of Jesus, to whom I owe everything and from whom I expect everything.” God loves us with merciful love. “Pope John continues “There is nothing more man needs than Divine Mercy – that love, which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which raises man above his weakness to the infinite heights to the holiness of God.” “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!”
Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.