23rd Sunday - Fr. Leo
In our first reading from the Prophet Isaiah, when the Lord says: “Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!,” I thought, “Isn’t that asking a lot?” Or, maybe too much?
If someone is frightened, it would be very hard for them to embrace a message of hope and a promise ofimmense joy. So, how are they to hear and embrace hope and joy again in their lives?
My thought was, it’s not the words that will make a difference as much as the person communicating the words. Only someone with gentleness and genuine love can make these words of hope come alive in the hearts of the fearful.
This should not surprise us. Love is always an exchange between people. Growing closer to Christ we come to share in the perfect community of the Trinity. God’s love becomes ours as we learn, like Christ, to pour ourselves out for others. It is then that love is realized as hope and joy become tangible.
An exercise of this kind of faith is given to us today from the letter of St. James. Practically we are to treat all with God’s vision of love, not preferring the rich to the person with tattered clothes, unkempt hair, and body odor. Christ lives in all, especially the lowly and the poor.
So a reverse response on our part can make hope and love real, but to do so, requires us to give up our own false security and enter into humanity with the love that Christ entered it. To become hope for others. Thus, it is we who make the Word real in our gentle and loving embrace of those in need.
In truth, we are all persons in need. Just as others receive God’s love through us, we also receive God’s love through others.
Let us pray to God to bring us into the full love of the Trinity, so that love may unite us to God and to all for whom he died in Christ. Let us pray to the Spirit to make us one in the resurrection of grace. One with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, let us pray, “Come, Holy Spirit, enkindle in us the fire of your love. Make us one in you and with our sisters and brothers forever. Open our eyes to the fullness of faith! Touch us and heal us all in your love! Amen.”