Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Tuesday after Epiphany

(I John 4:7-10; Mark 6:34-44)

A guest at a soup kitchen once questioned the affection of a volunteer who served him.  “Miss Bea,” the man said, “do you love me?”  The wife and mother replied, “Yes, Henry, I love you.”   “Miss Bea,” the man went on, “would you come home with me?”  “It ain’t that kind of love, Henry,” the woman objected.

There are different ways of loving which the wise person distinguishes.  But love itself is a thrust for unity.  Married couples express love for one another in varied ways, especially by the act of physical union.  The volunteer showed her love for the poor man by caringly serving his need to eat.  Where the first reading today says, “God is love,” it means that God desires to be one with everything that is.  God’s love transcends natural love in that its scope includes the undesirable.  For example, God loves us in our sinfulness.  Indeed, God desires us so much that He came to live among us and died so that we might partake of His life. 

God has also graced us with His love.  We can desire to be with God even though we cannot see Him.  Our desire to love Him leads us to care for all His creatures even though they have little to do with us and, indeed, even though they mistreat us.  Choosing to love both God and others, we participate in God’s own life.  This is eternal life.  It begins here in our loving both appropriately and universally and not, as some think, in death.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious

(I John 4:7-10; Mark 6:34-44)

“The one who loves much, does much,” the mother told her son. Reinforced by the mother’s example of unselfishness, the proverb echoed in the child’s mind throughout his life. Perhaps St. Elizabeth Ann Seton gave a similar lesson to her five children. She certainly practiced its wisdom. Her accomplishments are almost exhausting to name, much less to realize. St. Elizabeth founded a religious congregation, set Catholic education on firm footing by training teachers and writing textbooks, visited the sick, established orphanages, and wrote spiritual reflections.

The First Letter of John reminds us that love in action is not found naturally in humans but comes from God. The love of the Trinity overflows into creation and has reached its pinnacle in the Incarnation when God the Father’s only-begotten Son came to earth. The Son not only shows us how to help our neighbor but frees us from the glamor of evil. Now we can turn to God with gratitude and to our neighbor with love.

Homilette for Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Christmas Weekday

(I John 4:7-10; Matthew 6:34-44)

A guest at a soup kitchen once questioned the affection of a volunteer who served him. “Miss Bea,” the man said, “do you love me?” The wife and mother replied, “Yes, Henry, I love you.” “Miss Bea,” the man went on, “would you come home with me?” “It ain’t that kind of love, Henry,” the woman objected.

There are different ways of loving which the wise person distinguishes. But there is only one love which is a thrust for unity. Married couples express love for one another in varied ways, most especially by the act of physical union. The volunteer showed her love for the poor man by her service. Where the first reading today says, “God is love,” it means that God desires to be one with everything that is. God’s love transcends natural love in that its scope includes the undesirable. For example, God loves us in our sinfulness. Indeed, God desires us so much that He came to live among us and died so that we might partake of His life.

God has also graced us with His love. We can desire to be with God even though we cannot see Him. We can also love others even though they have little to do with us and, indeed, even though they mistreat us. Choosing to love both God and others, we participate in God’s own life. This is eternal life. It begins here in our loving both appropriately and universally and not, as some think, in death.