"Christ loved the Church. He gave Himself up for her" (Eph 5:25). We too must love the Church, which is Jesus' Body, and give our lives for her, if we are to love Jesus.
However, this is humanly impossible, for the Church is partly made up of unrepentant sinners, whom the Lord calls "thieves" (Jer 7:11) and weeds (Mt 13:24ff). How can we love unrepentant sinners and hypocrites? Even Jesus said He was nauseated by lukewarm Christians (Rv 3:16). Jesus, Who loves Judas and all sinners, will give us the grace to love the "unlovable." The Father loved even unrepentant sinners so much that He gave Jesus to die on the cross for them (see Jn 3:16). The Holy Spirit produces in us the fruit of love, even for enemies (see Gal 5:22).
To receive grace from the Holy Trinity to love the "unlovable" in the Church, we must begin by accepting the grace of:
Then in love we can correct sinners gently and humbly (Gal 6:1). This purifies and beautifies the Church. If our correction is not accepted, we should not try manipulation but redemptive suffering. We can even rejoice to suffer for the Church (Col 1:24). This is the ultimate act of love for Jesus and His Church. If you love Jesus, love His Church (Eph 5:25).
| PRAYER: | Father, thank You for having mercy on me in the ugliness of my sinfulness. May I give this mercy to others. |
| PROMISE: | "My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." –Ps 84:3 |
| PRAISE: | Ricardo, a salesman, routinely witnesses to his prospective clients. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College