theROCK

God Desired You

God Desired You

In speaking with a group of students about the two Great Commandments, love God and love your neighbor as yourself, one wise student stated, how can we love our neighbor as ourselves when we don’t love ourselves to begin with, it would be easier to treat a neighbor better then we treat ourselves. The reality of how much we struggle to love ourselves and in turn love others really struck me, for this is very true, especially in our world today. The question I have been pondering since that conversation is, why is it so hard for us to love, cherish, and be confident in who God created us to be? The greatest response I have found to that question is from one of my favorite saints. 

On October 22 the Church celebrated the feast day of St. Pope John Paul II, who loved young people and desired so deeply that people would understand that they are created, loved, and valued by God. Each and every person is created simply because God desired them. He desired you! Take a moment and let that sink into your heart. You are here because God desired it. He wanted you! St. Pope John Paul II’s formal teaching on humanity is called the Theology of the Body. In this teaching St. Pope John Paul II begins by calling us to reflect on the beginning of Creation, when God created man and women and saw that they were very good. God created humanity to be a gift to each other, to give and receive, to live in harmony, to love each other and to bring new life into the world. In the very beginning of creation the two greatest commandments were lived out, man and woman loved God above all and they beheld and loved themselves and each other the way God intended. As we all know the story, sin entered the world and humanity became broken. We are no longer living in the original state that God created, we are living in the consequences of original sin. However, we also live in the glory, joy, and hope of Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection—as  people saved. We are called to live with the goal of heaven inscribed in our hearts, we are called to help other people to journey toward heaven, so that one day we can rejoice together with God forever. 

So why is it so hard for us to love, cherish, and be confident in who God has created us to be? Because sin entered the world and we have been wounded. Yet, St. Pope John Paul II’s teaching gives us hope because he reminds us that in the beginning it was not so and Christ has conquered sin and death, and so sin and death are not the final end. God is calling you to love Him and love your neighbor, but first take a moment to simply relish with joy that God desired you, for only when we live in this confidence of God’s love for ourselves will we be able to look at another person and see God in them and be able to love them as ourselves.

The Merciful Love of God

Divine Mercy Sunday is my favorite Sunday of the whole liturgical year.

Why is it my favorite? Because it points us to the merciful love of God that lies behind the whole Paschal Mystery which we celebrated last week.

The word ‘mercy’ comes from the Latin misericordia, which comes from the two words miseria, meaning wretchedness, misery, or affliction, and cor, meaning heart. The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God's mercy to sinners, each and every one of us.

Blood and water flow from the side of Jesus as the soldiers pierce his side as he hangs on the cross. The heart of Jesus is pierced, for you and me. The blood of the covenant forever securing my redemption, and water that cleanses me, as I die with Christ in his death and rise with Him to new life.

This Sunday’s gospel is the story of Thomas putting his fingers in Jesus’ side. He gets a pretty bad wrap but, the truth is, that’s you and me, doubting the love and mercy of God every step of the way.

Jesus really died, really rose again, and in his resurrected body he has the scars of his wounds. In Jesus, the prophecy of Isaiah 53:5 is fulfilled. “But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his wounds we are healed.”

On Divine Mercy Sunday, may we be immersed in the infinite, deep, mercy of God and be reminded no one is too far gone.

A Ripple Effect of Love

My heart has been really heavy for a while. With the wars raging around the world, the continuous onslaught of devastation, and what seems like an endless stream of family and friends experiencing great suffering, there is simply too much to pray for. Too much to care about. Not enough personal agency to do something about all of the needs.

I took this to prayer one evening after having watched a particularly horrific news clip of the Israel – Hammas conflict. I felt helpless. I had donated money to relief organizations. Contacted my congressional representatives. I was praying. I was fasting. I was doing everything I could think to do and it still felt like it wasn’t enough.

And ever so gently Jesus said to me: “My child, you are right. You cannot stop the war in Israel and Palestine. You cannot hug the children who have been left without parents. You cannot go there and physically effect change. But what you can do is look to those around you, love those around you so well that it inspires them to do the same. In this way, you can create a ripple effect of love that reaches all the way across the globe.”

It isn’t our job to fix all of the problems of the world. Absolutely, we should do what we can. But we aren’t the Savior. Our job is to love those around us so well we create a ripple effect of love and kindness that reaches every corner of the world.

Look around you. Who can you reach out to with love and kindness? How can you help create a ripple effect?