Reflections of a beloved son

Jesus came for all people, even those who choose to reject Him and deny Him. He came to lay down His life so that we may have life and have it to the full. Can we spare a few moments to put down whatever it is we are busying ourselves with, sit with the Lord, and truly embrace life and live it to the full - not by doing many things, but by simply being?

I believe if you were to ask anyone who seems well-adjusted, doing well, and happy if everything in their lives has always been well and easy, I am sure they will tell you no.   It takes hard work to produce good results , in anything.  For a student, to get honestly good grades, one must study and work hard and diligently.  For a teacher, to be an effective instructor, one must do as much, if not more work than their students to prepare lessons and to love them well.  For a parent, to be a loving parent who does his best to provide for his family, he must maintain his career.  For an athlete, to play to win one must practice day in and day out, putting in sweat and tears.   All things worth doing are worth sacrificing for .  The struggles will be there, but if you keep in mind why you’re working so hard, those struggles will become opportunities to respond to grace and let God lead you. St. Paul and Barnabas told the people who were struggling to ...

We are called to love.  Notice that we are not asked to love or encouraged to love or even recommended  to love.  We are called  to love.  What does that mean? In today's Gospel reading , a Scribe asked Jesus "Which is the first of all the commandments?"  Jesus replied by quoting Scripture (Deuteronomy and Leviticus), " The first is this:  Hear, O Israel!  The Lord our God is Lord alone!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.   The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself .  There is no other commandment greater than these" (Mk. 12:28-31).  Jesus tells the Scribe and all of us that to love God and to love neighbor are the most important things.  There is nothing else you can do that will replace these two commands.  In order to love God and others we must first learn how to receive love.  It is God who loved ...