Gods Steadfast and Eternal Love

In today’s gospel we hear that God gave His only Son for our salvation as a ransom for our sins. So that we may not perish but have eternal life with God. But was this the only plan God had to save humankind? Couldn’t He spare the pain of the cup of suffering offered to Jesus, His only begotten son?

The answer is very simple. Friends, when our kids are preparing for their board exams we get nervous too. We’ll try to make everything around them comfortable and keep away any distraction. If we who are sinful and imperfect know the need of our children and give them our support, protection, encouragement and time, then please think for yourself how much more can our Heavenly Father do for us. God knew that humankind has failed again and again. Inspite of all the miracles and protection God gave the Chosen People. They failed to understand God’s unconditional love.

So God is helping us to copy. God knew that we will definitely fail as all of us have fallen short of grace. So He sent Jesus His perfect and innocent son. Through Jesus His only begotten sinless perfect son He invites us to choose a life of being his child following His Son as devote Christian, living like Jesus, choosing the will of God above our wills and wants. We simply have to copy what Jesus did and we all will be toppers. When I say we, I am not referring to just Christians but the whole world. The verse john 3:16 very clear in saying that “God so loved the World .

Many a times we look down on others who are not baptized and are ignorant of Jesus. But for God we all our equal. Jesus did His share of testifying for the Father to the whole world and inviting all to be children of God. It’s our turn now to do the same. Through the testimony of our words and life may we introduce God through Jesus to this world who is in need of liberation.

God our loving and merciful father, we thank you for saving us through Jesus and loving us unconditionally. Help us to reciprocate with love and obedience so that in you we may truly live.

Another Reflection:

Today at Mass even as I heard the words of John 3:16 and the following words of the Gospel I was reflecting on how awesome is this Gift from God; an invitation to come and see and stay back and share in God’s fullness. This call to live the life of God is not fully Spiritual in the sense that we be 24 hours a day before God and worship Him. It is also a selfless outpouring in this world to be a reflection of God/Salt of the Earth/Light to the World- it is about living the other mystery of Christ – His Incarnation. And to live Christ Incarnated and broken and shared is difficult – we will give up, if not for the grace of His Own Presence that Jesus offers us.

When we awaken to God’s Love and Fullness, we mostly want to go up on the mountain and shout out our Joy… and that is good, but life is much more than that, and then we encounter failure, and we wonder about the Joy that we experienced at one time, was it a mirage. We would like to give up, but the convictions of experiencing God in our lives, will not let us do that. When we see this rough experience and look at it as anything other than a gift of perfection from God, then we will falter and fall away. When we realise that it is a gift from God, we will start thinking from God’s perspective, asking ourselves, what God desires from us. In my case it is all the plans and ideas I have, to let go of them and start taking a look, now that I am not preoccupied with my own ideas, to what God has already planned. God’s plans may not be delightful in the sense of comfort and be understandable, but they are satisfying, fulfilling, joyous and world changing – one moment at a time. They are for eternity, not just for now.

Take this time then to reflect. Let go of the wheel of the boat that your life is, unfurl the sails of your heart, and invite the Holy Spirit to come and take charge and blow us where he desires us to live our lives as Christians. That means if he invites us to protest against something, do so as Christians – peacefully, fill those jails if required, but identify with the Truth and the Goodness that God is in your life. Let the inmates see first hand the Kingdom(Life) of God in you and believe. If it is to share Jesus in this pluralistic society that is India, do so with the way you live alongside them – love them – even when they are throwing every tantrum and dagger at you, pray for them – be Jesus – be ready to die, may not be physical, but in many other ways… then that seed has died, then it becomes source of New Life… for no longer will it be your old self, because you will be empty of your worldly self, and God can fill you now with His Self…

Come Holy Spirit – fill the sails of our hearts, blow us the fullness in You.