God is Love (1 Jn 4:8, 16). He made us in His image, in the image of Love (Gn 1:27). Therefore, we are made for love and are automatically looking for love. So we are happy if we know we are loved, but are brokenhearted if we think we are not loved.
Because of His love for us, the Lord wants us to abide in Love and in Him (1 Jn 4:16). Therefore, He became a man, died on the cross for love of us, and rose from the dead for love of us (see Phil 2:6-9). Thus He has given us an intimacy with Him which is beyond human words and ideas. God the Father has even adopted us as His sons and daughters (Eph 1:5). If we do His will, we become Jesus' mothers, brothers, and sisters (Mk 3:35). Jesus loves us so much that He gives us His Body and Blood in Holy Communion. He will come back to take us to be with Him in the everlasting love of heaven.
The Lord cannot love us any more than He does. His love for us is infinite, perfect, unconditional, crucified, and eternal. The purpose of our lives is to enter into and live in God's love and "be able to grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love, and experience this love" (Eph 3:18-19).
Live in love (Jn 15:9-10). Be yourself. Be happy. Live in God forever.
| PRAYER: | Father, send the Holy Spirit to produce in me the fruit of love (Gal 5:22). |
| PROMISE: | "I have come to do Your will, O God." –Heb 10:7 |
| PRAISE: | St. Thomas, perhaps the wisest and most prolific teacher in Church history, was praying before a crucifix near the end of his life. A voice asked Thomas what he wanted as the reward for all of his service to God. Thomas answered: "None but Yourself, O Lord." |
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