Love

Dear Parish Family,

Today we are reminded of our life’s purpose, to love one another as God has loved us. We were created out of love and for love. If we have experienced love in our lives, we have known God, for God is love.

There are many kinds of love. Love for parent, child, spouse, friends, even love for our pets. Each love is special and forms a connection with those we love, wanting their happiness more than our own. The experience of love in our lives empowers us, it fills us with joy and happiness, strength, courage and even self-giving sacrifices. It is the force that drives us, essential to our survival. It is an internal attitude which influences every single thing we do, say and think.

It is easy to love those who love us, like our friends and family or those we admire. I think that when Jesus gives us the commandment to love one another, this is not who he was referring to. It is an automatic response to immediately think of those we love, and their needs. The challenge is to love those who are hard to love. Those who reject us, the stranger, the poor, the sick, the immigrant, or the criminal. They are God’s beloved too. Created in God’s image, with dignity. They too are the body of Christ. We are called to love as God loves, unconditionally.

When we act out of love for one another, we seek to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters. Through love we are connected and their needs are our needs. We teach love by loving. Let us actively seek those who are in need of love, and show them love and kindness.
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Siempre Adelante,
Tere Delgado
Faith Formation Minister

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