How We Know Christ Loves Us
Aug
3
Written by:
Sunday, August 03, 2008
18th Sunday Ordinary Time
August 3, 2008
What can separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.
Romans 8:35
Sometimes it can seem to us that God does not really love us very much. These are just a few of the many sufferings St. Paul experienced as he tried to serve the Lord! Yet he says he conquered and saw the love of God in these trials! How can this be possible? What is St Paul talking about?
When great suffering comes into our lives, it will usually lead in one of two directions: either toward God or away from him. Paul is so bold as to say that it is in precisely our greatest sufferings that God proves his love for us, and we to him.
We see the love of God in our lives when we look at a crucifix. As we do so, it is as if the Lord says to each and every one of us: I have already loved you --- this much. Yes, you can conquer, you can triumph through this terrible suffering you are going through, because you now know how much you are loved; and when you know you are infinitely loved, you can go through practically anything for the one who loves you.
No suffering can separate us from the love of God. The whole point of our sufferings is to be able to share, somehow, in the sufferings of Christ. We are on a very short journey that leads right to the front door of someone who has loved you since before you were born, has the light on, is waiting by the door, looks anxiously for your arrival.
Love is what we have gone through, with and for someone. Imagine sharing everything in a long dinner conversation with Jesus on the night of your arrival at his home. Seeing what he went through for us and how much he has done to make everything ready for our arrival, no earthly trial can separate us from that love manifested in the cross. No, every suffering is meant to strengthen our bond with him, and thus to conquer.
Father Gary