Reflection of the Week - 14th June 2022
Advocate, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Wisdom, Spirit of God, Holy Spirit, wind, breath, fire – across our Bible and within our Christian traditions, we experience many aspects of the Spirit.
Posted in Faith
Contemplation on John 15:9-17
The core of the Christian message is love, God loves me! How is it to sit with this reality? If we could grasp God’s unconditional love for us, life would be radically a journey of joy. To accept that God loves me is also to accept the reality that God loves all others in the same way. I am called to love myself and others, and it is clear from the Gospel that I am called to love the poor, the excluded, and the marginalised in a special way. I am also called to care for the earth, which God has entrusted to us.
‘God, who calls us to generous commitment and to give him our all, offers us the light and the strength needed to continue on our way. In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us, he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward.’ (Pope Francis, Laudato Si 245).
Some further thoughts on the scripture:
My love for others must not be conditioned by how they respond. Jesus loves me totally, whether I am good or bad or indifferent. My love must have that quality too. This is costly love – it could demand my very life!
This costly love will bear rich fruit, whether I see it or not. Just so, Jesus’ love bears fruit only after his death. I must not be discouraged when my love seems to be wasted. True love never comes to an end (1 Corinthians 13:8). Loving actions are the building blocks of eternal life.
Source: https://www.sacredspace.ie/scripture/john-15-9-17#
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Advocate, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Wisdom, Spirit of God, Holy Spirit, wind, breath, fire – across our Bible and within our Christian traditions, we experience many aspects of the Spirit.
Have you ever had an experience so incredible that when you tried to explain it to someone else, words didn’t really suffice?
With so many competing messages, rules, expectations, and demands, it is often hard to hear God’s voice clearly.
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