LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE WORD IN LENT #22

Love is a life-giving stream

Tuesday, Fourth week in Lent - 28th March, 2017
Ezek 47: 1-9,12; Jn 5: 1-3,5-16

In the name of love at times we tend to possess each other; mutually stifling existence. Two imageries that I have always been fascinated about love: one is about a butterfly behind which you frenetically go to hold it in your hands but you fail as it always flies away from you. A while later you sit letting it be by itself, it comes gently and sits on your shoulder. That is true love. Secondly, a fledgling that you wish to hold in your palms, if you hold it too tight the poor creature will be suffocated to death. You hold your palm fully open it will just fly away from you. The key is how balanced your holding is. 

The Word today gives us another imagery, love as a life giving stream: life giving because true love enhances life, renders life wholesome and meaningful; stream because love flows on, it cannot afford to stagnate. It is this flowing that makes it life giving and the life giving quality requires that the stream keeps flowing to reach out to more and more. God's love is true and it is truly a life giving stream! 

How life giving and how flowing is your love? Let your love be genuine and let your love be flowing... neither possessive nor devoid of life. 

LOVE-LENT 2017 - THE WORD IN LENT #21

To Love is to Forget

Monday, Fourth week in Lent - 27th March, 2017
Is 65: 17-21; Jn 4: 43-54

We go a lot by our memories; we make judgements on the basis of our past experiences; we decide someone is good or bad basing ourselves on memories! 

To love actually would mean to forget the past, specially the negative past, and live the moment to the full, open to the reality every moment of our life. People are unique each one with his or her individuality and experience. When we start judging others, we become too busy to love them. In judging we make people objects; we begin to use them to prove our point, instead of being open to what they are and what they can become. 

God is ever ready not only to forgive but even to forget. That is the spirit of true love, that forgets the other's shortcomings and starts anew everytime. The new earth and new heaven is a gift from this love that is so forgetful of the past, so unassuming in its acceptance, challenging us to the same.