How wonderful is our God? His love and mercy are endless. As we have difficulty imagining the far
reaches of outer-space, we too have difficulty, - in the limits of our
humanness, - in understanding the infinite patience, mercy and love God has for
us, his beloved children.
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians
2:9:
“Eye has not
seen,
Ear has not heard
Nor can the human
heart conceive
What God has prepared
for those who love Him.”
God’s love is the perfection of
love – enduring, limitless, powerful and all-encompassing. In God’s love we rest in peace and security –
without worry or care – in complete knowledge and understanding of its
perfection for us.
God’s love is a love that responds
to love - in its perfection. We cannot
be loved if we do not respond with love.
God’s love is always open to us, - showering us with his grace. It is we who need to be open to God’s
love - in order to receive his mercy and forgiveness. We must open ourselves to his grace – through
the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
There is only one unforgivable sin:
“Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” – it occurs when we close ourselves off from
God’s love and grace. It is a sin we
impose on ourselves – when we do not allow ourselves to bask in God’s complete
love. -- In our hard-heartedness, our stubbornness, - we say to God - we are
not lovable. “How can God love me when I
have sinned so greatly?”
It is a sin born of selfishness,
self-pity and obstinacy. We place ourselves
above God – thinking our sins are so great even God cannot forgive us. How foolish we are – how vain and arrogant!
Thinking we are so terrible, so
sinful, that Our Father in heaven - cannot possible forgive us. Placing limits on God’s love, we turn away
from his mercy and forgiveness and dwell in darkness – away from the light of His
love.
The beginning of reconciliation
with God is in forgiving ourselves and acknowledging our weakness. When we recognize our own frailties – our
need for mercy and forgiveness - we see how much we need God’s love. It is then - when we can begin our journey to
healing; opening ourselves to the abundance of God’s loving grace – (which
showers down upon us like the rays of the sun).
Letting go of ourselves and our attachment
to this world, we look to heaven and God’s kingdom with His promise of life
eternal. There is where we shall live
forever - in God’s embrace, - the perfection of His love.
Jesus’ teaching in the parable of
the fig tree is not to show us that God’s patience has limits, - but to show us
that we need to respond to His love – so we may bear fruit. No matter how sinful we are, how badly we
believe we have behaved - God’s love is greater – overcoming all.
Just as the gardener promises to
feed, water and nurture the fig tree, God too offers us ample opportunity to be
nurtured in his care; responding to his love and grace.
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Sending his Word into the world to proclaim the Good
News of His Kingdom
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Sacrificing his Only Son, so that we may be
saved.
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Sending the Holy Spirit to be with us as comfort
and guide.
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Establishing his Church where we gather together
to give him worship and praise
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Teaching us to pray – saying to us - ask and we
shall receive, - seek and we shall find, - knock and the door shall be opened
to us.
Everyday we encounter God’s love
through opportunities of grace in discipleship in Christ Jesus –
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loving the poor,
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helping the lost and disenfranchised,
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setting captives free;
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feeding the hungry,
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sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked and
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giving comfort to the sorrowful
Jesus warns us that we should look
not on the sins of others or accept the sinfulness of the world as excuse - in
not fulfilling our call to holiness and obedience to God. We are to look to ourselves and support one
another in keeping holy.
Everyone is subject to the fires of
Gehenna - if we do not respond to God’s love and rely on his mercy and
forgiveness – which knows no bounds, and has no limits. He is always ready to forgive; – welcoming
the most wretched sinner into his kingdom of Light.
We need only to ask his forgiveness
- be open to His love: accepting His gift of mercy to be received in His
embrace.
~Amen
Peace,
Deacon Don Ron
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