God Is Love: In God I Live and Move and Have my Being

In today's first reading, 1 John 4: 7-10, John reminds us to love one another, "because love is of God" and that "everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever," he says, "is without love does not know God, for God is love."

Hear Jesus say to you, in prayer:

"(Insert your name),  love is your destiny.  In and through love, you are begotten of God, that is, you are  reborn in God, renewed by God's  love, purified by God's  love, made whole by  God's love. You live and move and have your being in God, that is you live in love and for love and through love!"

"(Insert your name),  you know me because of your love for others and for yourself. Those who know not love know not me or the Father or the Holy Spirit. Love is the gateway, the door, the foundation, the air your breathe in Christ Jesus, my Son and your Savior! I revealed My love for you and all in the world by sending My Son born of Mary.  He took on human nature so as to redeem you and all humankind from the snares which Satan set, the sinful lures that, if not crushed by the blood of my Son, would  have led to eternal death and permanent separation from Me for all my children. I'd have none of it and Satan knows it. His power my Son took from him when he offered His life to Me for you and all humankind on Calvary's hill. I rose my Son from the dead, destroying death, which sin is.  That is My love for you and all my children!"

Thank you, Lord, for your incredulous and unconditional love for each of your children. Thank you for your love for me shown to me by Jesus' life and death and resurrection--the gift of redemption. May I learn to love as Jesus and You and the Holy Spirit, Father God, taught me in the Scriptures, through others and through the events of my life!

God's Kingdom among Us

In today’s first reading, 2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16, King David wanted to build a house for the ark of God.   God says to the prophet Nathan, who had encouraged King David to do so, to let King David know that it was not the will of God that he take on such a task.  “Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Should you build me a house to dwell in? It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.   And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance….I will raise up your heir after you, spring from your loins, and I will make his Kingdom firm….Your house and your Kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’”

God sent His Son into the World, born of a woman on this holy night.   Jesus came to earth to establish God’s Kingdom here and to secure our place in that Kingdom for all eternity by ransoming us from Satan’s snares. e did so H He did so by His obedience to the Father unto His death on the cross and His triumph over death in His resurrection.

My prayer:  Thank you, God, for your great love in leaving Your throne and the peace of heaven to enter a sin-infested, troubled, violent world to secure for m—for all of us--a place in heaven!  You left heaven and came to earth to redeem it and take it out of Satan’s power. You, warrior God, took on Satan and his legions of devils, who war against us!  How great God’s love for each of us—Jesus gave His life as ransom, beginning with His taking on human nature when conceived in Mary’s sacred womb and being born this holy night!

                I did so for your sake!

                I gave my life to save yours!

Your thoughts?   Your prayer?our prayer