Friday, March 22, 2019

Be Joyful

Journey to Holiness: You are loved without measure!

March 23, 2019: Saturday, Second week in Lent
Micah 7: 14-15, 18-20; Luke 15: 1-3,11-32


Have you had the opportunity of listening to that touching song that speaks of God's grace as, 'Oh Outrageous Grace!'...yes, there is a lot of pain, trouble and sin but a lot more of healing, love, peace and an outrageous grace. An immeasurable love, an abundant grace, limitless mercy...  that is God. What should I fear when the Lord loves me with such an immeasurable love. The Lord looks at me as a shepherd madly in love with his sheep, willing to lay down his life for his sheep, however undeserving the sheep may be.

The Call is twofold here: one, however immeasurable God's love is, I need to make myself deserving of that great love of God. If not, I run the risk of depriving myself of that outrageous love, that immeasurable mercy by distancing myself from the Father like that younger son.

The second call is to accept my brother (or sister) who fails! If I do not look kindly on the limitations of my brothers and sisters and show mercy to them, accepting them with forgiveness and forbearance, I would be standing out of the house of my Father, again depriving myself of the mercy and love I can receive without measure!

I need to be filled with joy that the Lord loves me, then nothing will disturb me! I would be ready to experience the mercy of the Father and share the same with the other. When I lack that joy, I would turn so negative that I will deprive myself of all that abundance of love!

Holiness tip for today: Rejoice, be joyful, for the Lord loves you!