Daily Reflection _ friday of 32nd week OT


"GOD LOVES YOU; LOVE IN RETURN"
St. Vincent de Paul, the great apostle of charity, used to say, "I have but a single sermon and twist it a thousand ways."  What he meant is that the Christian message is essentially a simple one, which has almost unlimited applications. That simple message is: "God loves you; love in return." Despite its simplicity, this message is profound. In fact, because of both its simplicity and its profundity, it is easy for us to fail to appreciate its full meaning. How wonderful it would be if we could catch and hold the spirit of new found love in our relationship with God.
Think about how a young man feels when he realizes that the girl of his dreams really does love him. He is in a kind of ecstasy. He glides through the day in a trance, oblivious of his surroundings, his heart intent only on his love. For him all is right in the world. He sees everything and everyone in a new light. He is happy to be alive, grateful to have the sun rise on a new day. Other people appear more beautiful and loveable to him than ever before. Of course not everyone can cause this reaction in him, only the girl whose return of love he ardently desires. He finds it almost incredible that this absolutely wonderful person actually loves him. He will do whatever she wants him to do.
No one is greater than God. No love is more desirable than His. If only we could appreciate fully that God loves us, our whole outlook on life would be transformed. We would be grateful for every day and see it as another opportunity to return His love. We would look at each day from a different perspective, and we could easily respond to the urging of St. John's Letter, "Let us love one another" (1 Jn 4:7).
In today's Responsorial Psalm we acclaim, "Blessed are they who follow the law of Lord" (Ps 119:1b)! May we walk in the way of our Lord, with loving hearts, striving to be good servants by living and keeping His words. Our challenge is to have hearts that are open and willing to do whatever God desires of us. If we remain docile to what He wants we will readily accept St. John's teaching that this love involves our "walking according to His commandments" (2 Jn 2:6).