Word to the Wise
Thursday, January 7, 2021 - Thursday after Epiphany, or Jan. 10
[1 John 4:19-5:4 and Luke 4:14-22a]Beloved, we love God because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. [1 John]
JANUARY 7 ST. RAYMOND OF PENAFORT, O.P.
Well.....there we have it! The connection between love of God and love of neighbor could not be more starkly stated. Love of God cannot be divorced from love of neighbor. Of course, being human, we will have thousands of "What if.....?" questions. A good example might be found in the lawyer who asks Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus' reply is the parable of the Good Samaritan! [Luke 10:29-37]. We cannot escape the human dilemma of the "unlovable" or "difficult to love" person(s). We don't have to look far. Racial prejudice is rampant in our world. Or we can go to a mirror!
Yesterday, the First Letter of John spoke to us about the obstacle that fear can be to loving one's neighbor. Studies have shown time and again that prejudice is often based on fear of the "other." But Jesus tells us we have to love the "other." We can be like a sculptor with a big piece of marble who chips away at the block until the image in his/her head emerges. We cannot choose our neighbor. The First Letter of John warns us about abstract love of God and neighbor. We cannot be like the character from the "Peanuts" cartoon, Linus, who said, "I love humanity. It's people I hate."
With such a challenging demand, it is indeed a good thing we have a Sacrament of Reconciliation, but even there we are challenged to show the same mercy to our neighbor that we receive in that sacrament. [Matthew 18:21-35]. In short, real Christianity is not for the "faint of heart!" Nor for the "faint of love!" AMEN
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