05 May 2018
Reflection: God Loves
Our readings today turn things upside down a bit.
In our first reading, we see Cornelius and his household receiving the Holy Spirit first and then being baptized. The second reading tells us that God loves us before we love God or our neighbour. In the Gospel reading, God abides in us and invites us to abide in God.
God can do whatever God wants. However, we can imagine limits on God’s power. We sometimes say things to ourselves like, “God could never love me”, or “God will only love me if I do x or stop doing y”.
These are illusions and untrue. Jesus tells us that God loves us as we are. It is because God loves us that we can love, grow, and change.
We cannot earn God’s love. Rather we receive it as a free gift. This is the source of our joy. For this reason, we are a grateful people, a humble people, a people who give thanks to God. Eucharist means to give thanks. If we allow ourselves to be forgiven and loved, then the Spirit of God’s love will abide in our hearts and can flow out to others and back to God.
Fr Con O’Connell MSC