Daily Retreat 01/09/08
2008 Jan 9 Wed: Christmas Weekday
1 Jn 4: 11-18/ Ps 71(72): 1-2. 10. 12-13/ Mk 6: 45-52
From today’s readings: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.... Lord, every nation on earth will adore You.... Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid! ”
Living Love
The entire Bible recounts how God has manifested His love to our world. The entire Bible also insists, often implicitly but at times also explicitly (such as in the first reading), that the logical consequence to God’s love is the reasonable expectation that we, the recipients of God’s love, must love one another.
Both insights are essential. For, when we fail to reflect on the perfection and immensity of God’s love, it becomes all too easy to be complacent about that innate selfishness in fallen human nature that corrodes and curtails the instinct to love others for the love of God. And when we fail to concretely extend the love of God to others, we effectively profess merely a static, stunted faith, unanimated by the transforming nature of divine love.
Every page of the Bible can thus be read very appropriately and profitably simply by considering how it answers the reciprocal questions “What does this reveal about God’s love?” and “What does this imply for my love for others?”
1 Jn 4: 11-18/ Ps 71(72): 1-2. 10. 12-13/ Mk 6: 45-52
From today’s readings: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.... Lord, every nation on earth will adore You.... Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid! ”
Living Love
The entire Bible recounts how God has manifested His love to our world. The entire Bible also insists, often implicitly but at times also explicitly (such as in the first reading), that the logical consequence to God’s love is the reasonable expectation that we, the recipients of God’s love, must love one another.
Both insights are essential. For, when we fail to reflect on the perfection and immensity of God’s love, it becomes all too easy to be complacent about that innate selfishness in fallen human nature that corrodes and curtails the instinct to love others for the love of God. And when we fail to concretely extend the love of God to others, we effectively profess merely a static, stunted faith, unanimated by the transforming nature of divine love.
Every page of the Bible can thus be read very appropriately and profitably simply by considering how it answers the reciprocal questions “What does this reveal about God’s love?” and “What does this imply for my love for others?”
posted by FrPitstick | 1/08/2008
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