Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Love and Fear


The WORD today (See http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/010616.cfm) reminds me that there is no fear in love.

People obey because of different things – out of duty or obligation, out of responsibility, out of respect, and out of fear. The end result may be the same – obedience, but the reasons vary. Of course, obedience out of fear is not the ideal reason, but it gets the job done. Same is true with love. There are many reasons for loving someone, but fear should not be one of them.

Perfect love casts out fear.

Deep. And true.

In the first reading, we see this. And if we analyze it, we see that it is true. You should not love out of fear. And perfect love drives out fear. There is no reason to fear, because perfect love accepts, and loves who the person is – both good and bad aspects. In the gospel, we see this in action. The disciples were afraid of the violent storm. They probably felt they would die. But Jesus comes. And the storm calms. God’s love, as manifested by and present in Jesus, casts out the fear manifested by the storm. God wins. Jesus wins. Love wins.

God loves us for who we are, not for what we can be. He loves us with all our sins and imperfections, like Jesus loving his apostles even if they don’t understand things yet. However, he doesn’t stop there. Though he doesn’t force us to change and improve, he knows we can be better. And he will patiently wait for us to be better, to reach our full potential. And allowing him to love us, as we feel and experience his love, we will be moved and allow God to mold us and improve us.

May we remember the perfect love God has for us, and allow him to love us and change us to be more like him.

Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the reminder. Thank you for never giving up on me. thank you for loving me despite all my weakness, despite all my imperfections, despite all my sins. Lord, I allow you to love me. I aloe you to fill me. and I allow you to mold me and change me to be more and more like you. As I become more like you, I know I can pass on your love to others. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,
-g-

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

January 6, 2016
Wednesday after Epiphany
Lectionary: 214

 

 

Reading 1 1 Jn 4:11-18

 
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
In this is love brought to perfection among us,
that we have confidence on the day of judgment
because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love,
but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

 

 

Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 10, 12-13

 
R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

 

 

Alleluia See 1 Tm 3:16

 
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to you, O Christ, proclaimed to the Gentiles.
Glory to you, O Christ, believed in throughout the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel Mk 6:45-52

 
After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd.
And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray.
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore.
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them.
About the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
He meant to pass by them.
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
They had all seen him and were terrified.
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down.
They were completely astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves.
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

No comments:

Post a Comment