Daily reflection _ help us to restore our faith

HELP US RESTORE OUR FAITH
The love we are called to offer is Jesus' own love, a love that offers itself in openness and service to others.  
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
In today's Gospel Jesus shows us that our God is one who heals, promises, and gives freedom. He gives hope, peace, helps restore relationships and shows us true love.
Jesus begins the proclamation of the Gospel here to fulfill the word of God. The Old Testament prophets spoke of God's promise to send a Redeemer who would establish God's rule. That time is now fulfilled in Jesus.
Jesus takes up John's message of repentance and calls disciples to believe in the good news he has come to deliver. The Gospel is the power and wisdom of God: power to change and transform our lives and wisdom to show us how to live as sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. In announcing the good news, Jesus made two demands: repent and believe. Repentance requires a life-change and a transformation of heart and mind. The Holy Spirit gives us a repentant heart, a true sorrow and hatred for sin and its consequences, and a firm resolution to avoid it in the future. The Holy Spirit gives us grace to see all this.
The commandment in today's first Reading tells us the following. "We should believe in the name of God's Son. To love one another just as he commanded us." The love we are called to offer is Jesus' own love, a love that offers itself in openness and service to others. Just as Christ appears in the Gospel healing disease and infirmity, so must we His followers offer care and service to those in need.
Points to Pray and Ponder: In our loving service to others, we pray that God's love made known in Jesus Christ will also be made known through each one of us.