LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE WORD IN LENT #17

Love: Recalling goodness at the heart of the fire

Tuesday, Third week in Lent - 21st March, 2017
Dan 3:25, 34-43; Mt 18:212-35

Being good and recognising the goodness in others is a faculty related to true love. The three levels of this faculty is spoken of in the Word today. 

First level is being good ourselves: as God is good. God is good all the time, and we are called to imitate that eternal goodness. 

The second level is to readily recognise the goodness in others: just as we appeal to the mercy of the Lord knowing well how rarely we deserved it.  Our love for God and God's love for us should inspire us to look at each other with that goodness as a framework.

The third level is to recognise the goodness of the other even at most trying moments of life: just as we see Azarias today praising God from the heart of the fire. It is not enough, the Lord challenges, that we recognise the goodness in others when we are experiencing moments of joy and tranquility. We should be able recognise that goodness even when we are at the heart of the fire, even when we are going through the rough patches in life. Recognising the goodness of the others should become our second nature and it will happen only when we grow deeper and deeper in our personal goodness.