Jesus is not here to condemn us. Jesus is here to love us. Jesus is here to make sure we understand the enormous, boundless love out of which God has made us. Jesus is here to teach us how to love ourselves with the same nonjudgmental, noncondemning love God has for us.
Upon awakening each day, we need to make choices: Shall we face the day with love or with fear? Shall we put our lives and wills into God’s hands or try to control events and the people we encounter? Shall we look for the positive or dwell on the negative? Shall we treat ourselves gently when we make mistakes or condemn our -humanity?
Life is meant to be a continual adventure where we perfect our skills at loving God, ourselves, and -others. Remembering that God loves the whole world, we can start by speaking courteously to all. We can listen respectfully to others’ opinions and ideas. We can thank others when they serve us a meal or wait on us. We can send hope to someone who is struggling with grief, depression, or loneliness.
Any time we show love to any of God’s children, we are honor God with that same love. We have been sent by the risen Lord to manifest the deeply personal love God has for the world.
Ponder: How does God’s love touch my life?
Prayer: Lord, you prove the power of love over death. Help me show love in thought, word, and action.
Practice: Today I will have a conversation with someone I usually avoid.
Adapted from Hopeful Meditations for Every Day of Easter Through Pentecost
by Rev. Warren J. Savage and Mary Ann McSweeny (Liguori Publications, © 2013).