Love, Loving, Beloved!

Today we celebrated a "Resurrection" Mass for a Sister who died a few days ago. This woman religious was full of Jesus, as I and so many others experienced her!  Joy radiated from her very being, no matter what! There is the saying: "So and so did not have a mean bone in his/her body."  I spoke to a the niece of this Sister this morning and she stated her experience of her Aunt, saying: "She did not have any evil in her." At times she was made fun of or spoken to harshly and her friends wanted to return the abuse.  Sister would say: "No; love that person!"

When others interact with us, do they leave us feeling blessed as persons did when they met this Sister?  If not, why not? If "yes," what graces has God given you/me to be a source of blessing to those with whom we live and work, pray and play and give the fullness of life to while  we are on our way to our heavenly home, as she was?

Lord, take possession of our beings, as You did of this Sister. Like her, may each of us be so inundated with You,    being one with the Trinity as each of You is one with each other as lovers, as loving and sharers of your love with every human person here on earth and in heaven above, so that we exude your Love with every one we meet, even those who are harsh with us! As with this Sister, may our response  to those who "trespass against us" be: "Love that person!"

Taking risks

The first reading of yesterday’s liturgy was from 1 Sam 18: 6-9; 19: 1-7.  Saul, in his jealousy, planned to kill David.  God uses Saul’s son, Jonathan, to reason with him.  Like Jonathan, we, too, are sometimes challenged to stand up for others who are older than ourselves and/or “superior” to us by reason of their position, their age and/or education. Saul was Jonathan’s father. Jonathan did not confront him on his own power. It was the Truth and the Light within him.  It was also his respect for his father, Saul, for David and himself that guided him. Am I, one, that attuned to what is happening around me and, second, that willing, with God’s help, to risk standing up to evil?  Or do I turn the other way and 1) pretend not to see it, 2) tell myself “it’s none of my business,” 3) rant and rave about the situation to a third party and not directly confront the person whose actions need to be challenged? If I choose any of those three choices, how trusting am I of God’s direction and His power to overpower evil or God’s strength to transform my weaknesses and fears?  I find myself wanting in many ways! What about you?

 In today’s Scriptures, Saul and his army are on a rampage, seeking to kill David. They enter a cave where David and his army are hiding. Saul falls asleep and David, having pity on him, spares him his life.  Both David and Saul were saved from Satan that day: David from Saul’s evil ways and Saul from his own jealousy and evil intent.  From who or what am I being saved? From what or from whom is God protecting me? How is God using me to protect others from evil?