The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011019.cfm)
reminds me that God
loved us first.
We all want to be loved.
There are a lot of people who are looking for love. There are a lot who are
praying for the love of their life. We want to feel loved and to be taken care
of. However, sometimes we tend to forget God – who loves us more than we can
imagine, and has always been there loving us.
God
loved us first. and he is continuing to love us.
The
first reading tells us that God sent his son to save us, because he loved us.
and he loved us not because we love him or we deserve to be loved. He loved us
because he is love. He loved us first. and in the gospel, we see this in
action. Jesus was being followed by the people. They were getting their fill of
him. his wisdom. His healing. And Jesus showed his love for them by filling
them with things spiritual and physical. He did not need them to prove his love
for him. Jesus loved them first.
God
loves you.
No
matter how we feel, no matter what we have been doing, no matter what our
issues are – God loves us. he loved us first, and he will continue to love us,
regardless if we love him or not. He will continue to love us regardless if we
deserve it or not. And this is something that should make us happy. This is an
affirmation of our worth, of how much God values us. God loves us for who we
are – with all the shortcomings and sins, and he will continue loving us.
What
is love for me? Does my self worth get affected by how other people see me? Do
I give much importance to who loves me? Do I realize that God loves me so much?
Is God’s love enough for me or do I want others more?
May
this give us a new perspective, not only on ourselves, but on God’s love for
us. and may it move us to love him back, to love him more.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live.
thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank you for loving me.
Lord, sorry for the times I look for love in the wrong places. I am sorry for
the times I feel unloved just because others don’t appreciate me. and sorry for
the times I overlook your love. Thank you for your unending love. From now on,
I will be more conscious of your love for me. I will allow you to love me and
to fill me. I will receive your love. And I ask that as I do so, you make me
more and more like you. I ask that you use me to bring your love to others as
well. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
January 10 2019
Thursday after Epiphany
Lectionary: 215
Lectionary: 215
Reading
1 1 JN 4:19–5:4
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.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
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.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Responsorial
Psalm PS
72:1-2, 14 AND 15BC, 17
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.
From fraud and violence he shall redeem them,
and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
May they be prayed for continually;
day by day shall they bless him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. 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.
From fraud and violence he shall redeem them,
and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
May they be prayed for continually;
day by day shall they bless him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Alleluia LK
4:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK
4:14-22
Jesus
returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
"Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
"Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
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