"God offers us risk, danger and a strange insecurity that leads to perfect security. His security begins when we start loving God with our whole heart, our whole mind, our whole soul and our neighbor as ourselves. I speak of this so often but it is the only message that can never be overstressed. We must clothe the skeletons of our lives with the flesh of his love, or we shall perish."
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Reflection
We spend copious amounts of money on material things that promises to make us happy. We also spend copious hours getting ready to face the outside world, yet how many hours do we spend with God?
Are we comfortable with God? Or do we shuffle about, twitch and tweak our clothes and finally take a peek at our watch in order to be finished with our allotted time with God? Do you long for Mass or do you long for it be over?
In the answers we give to these questions we will find if we are spiritually anorexic or spiritually mature.
In order to fully love God we must also love those around us and not just the people we deem 'worthy'. On the face of things do we deserve Jesus being Crucified in our place? When we can answer this question we realise that we are also in and of ourselves unworthy of God's Love. Yet God loves us enough to have His Beloved Son die in our place.
Christ was wounded for loves sake, are we equally prepared to bear this smaller wound when our love is rejected by others? Christ did not come to us and teach us how to love safely, He teaches us to love for Love sake alone.
The fiery love of God's holocaust is not for the fainthearted or the lukewarm, it is for the warrior spirit who loves fiercely, yet tenderly. Who speaks the Truth without apology, yet also with gentleness, who loves unto folly for Christ's sake.
At the end it will not be your love for God that will be measured but your love for your neighbor and also, your enemy.
Do you love safely or do you risk all for Love sake alone?
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Meditation
Luke Chapter 6:27-36
"But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit (is) that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful."
Source
'The Gospel Without Compromise' by Catherine Doherty
Peace of Christ to you ALL
Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.
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