Intense

Tags

gift, grace, intense, judging, love, St. Angela Merici, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Sometimes it only takes one word to capture my attention and get me thinking. It happened this morning as I read the section of 1 PT 4 that was an optional reading for the Memorial of St. Angela Merici, an important saint in the religious order of Ursuline Sisters. (Her biography is definitely worth a read.)

Here is the quote: Beloved, be serious and sober-minded so that you will be able to pray. Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.

Diving deeply into that statement makes me consider several things:

1. It doesn’t matter how imperfect I am, I’m still called to a deep and high love.

2. We can’t be judging each other because all of us are imperfect (what a relief!).

3. Since we’re gifted by God in various ways, our love will probably be expressed differently and uniquely to each other.

4. There’s lots more possible to find about love when we delve the word intense…

In addition, questions: What is my particular gift in the complex of different ways to love? How can I best reflect God in my love for “all God’s children?”

Weekend Advice

Tags

intense, John, love, Peter, summer, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, travels, vacation, weekend

It’s Friday again already! On this particular Friday, millions of people in the US are gearing up – or have already taken to the road or the skies – to celebrate on this long weekend not only Memorial Day on Monday but the beginning of summer all weekend long. The weather promises that even though the calendar tells us the real summer season is still almost a month away, the temperatures will convince us it has already arrived. There’s a happy feeling rising – a vacation attitude – that is expansive, perhaps because our houses cannot contain us; we are called outside to play!

Once again I turn to Peter for direct and clear instructions of how we are to be in order to enjoy the summer season – especially as we gather with relatives and friends on holidays and vacation times. Today he says: Above all let your love for one another be intense (there it is again), because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. (1PT 4: 7-13) Jesus is equally exhortative in the gospel acclamation (JN 15:16) where he says: I chose you from the world to go and bear fruit. And I want to add: So get out there and do it! (because we’re all chosen, you see.)

Safe travels! Enjoy!