LOVE HAS NO HOLIDAY

LOVE HAS NO HOLIDAY

 

So faith, hope, love remains, these three; but the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:13

 

The long holiday at the end of 2008 nearly emptied Manila streets of its usual inhabitants. So on that day, I should have reached the church quicker. But the driver of the jeepney I was riding decided to meander in the almost silent streets, stopping at every corner like he had all the time in the world. Since I was running late, it frayed my nerves. In my mind, I was commanding the driver to hurry. But he continued on his slow and merry way.

I was almost hyperventilating with impatience as I alighted from the jeep. That’s when the Holy Spirit spoke to me. Love does not take a holiday.

I went to church chastened that day. It’s almost automatic for us to think that others should treat us well and kindly. But do we do the same to others? As that simple yet deep message says, there’s no holiday when it comes to loving. Joy Sosoban (jsosoban@gmail.com)

 

REFLECTION:

“Love is patient, love is kind.” (1 Corinthians 13:4)

 

Dear Lord, make my love untiring and indiscriminate — just like Yours.

 

 

JEALOUSY IS SUCH A WASTE OF TIME

 

Jealousy is much worse than simply a waste of time. It also has the potential to waste an enormous amount of energy and resources. Time and energy that we spend competing with one another over usually a trivial matter could be far better spent working together to ensure that the Gospel is proclaimed to the ends of the earth.

In the Gospel today the leaders of the Jewish people get angry because they are jealous of Jesus’ popularity and also because Jesus is implying that they are no different from their faithless forebears who wearied the patience of God. From their reaction, it seems to me that Jesus has pretty much got it right. Before we become too judgmental, it might be good to reflect upon our own lives to see whether or not we have fallen into the same trap as the leaders of the Jews did in Jesus’ time.

We need to learn to rejoice in the gifts and powers that God has given to others, and not see them as competition for the attention of the people. Normally if this is the case, we are focused incorrectly in at least two ways. The first is that we are not working together with others to proclaim the Gospel — we want the glory for ourselves. The second is that we are focusing on gaining the attention of those already evangelized and we are not putting our energy and efforts into evangelizing those who have not or need to hear again, the Word of God. Jesus was never interested in any attention the people wanted to give Him — His sole concern was to live and proclaim the Gospel as best as He could.

It is this example that we must seek to follow. Otherwise, we will become distracted from the things that should be our focus and we will fail to achieve what we could have achieved, if only we had been wholly obedient to God.Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

Reflection Question:

Do I live my life in accordance with the will of God? Do I rejoice in the gifts God gives to others?

 

Jesus, help me to see that I am only one aspect of the work of the Kingdom of God; help me to know how to work with others in proclaiming the Gospel.

 

St. Marcella, pray for us.