Preserved for a purpose.

My fiance and I were in a pretty serious car accident about a month ago. The police man at the sight said that when he saw the car rolled on its side, windows smashed to pieces, he expected to find two dead bodies. Yet, we walked away with nothing but a couple bumps and bruises to show for our near brush with death.

I suppose this is the type of incident that often leaves one with a newfound sense of purpose and passion and enthusiasm for life. And as I reflected on this sort of expectation, and tried to decipher whether or not I was experiencing it, someone remarked to me that my life must have been preserved for a purpose. That there was yet work for me to accomplish before I left this Earth. That God didn’t just protect us for fun, but for a reason. And I thought that was pretty exciting.

But then as I thought about it some more, I realized we all come pretty close to death on a regular basis.

If you’re a teenager or young adult in the Western world, every time you get in a car, you come about as close to death as you can be for those years of your life. With car accidents being the number one cause of death in young people, you’re cutting it pretty close every time you choose to buckle up.

At one time after our accident, I remember feeling kind of jipped – knowing that I could have been closer to heaven if the cops had found what they had expected. It was a fleeting thought – but I don’t think it’s without basis. Though this Earth has much goodness and joy to offer, I firmly believe it doesn’t hold a candle to what Heaven will be like. And I don’t believe God desires to keep us from the joys of Heaven. It’s not as though we’re just killing time until we grow old and fat and have heart attack. Nope, I think our days are quite intentional.

So every time you get in a car and arrive somewhere safely, I daresay you ought to count your blessings. But more than that, perhaps we ought to realize that we made it to our destination safely for a reason. That our presence on this Earth still matters. There are people to know, smiles to share and lives to affect. Just as I was preserved, so too, were you.

The plans of our God are not loosely thrown together.
You’re alive, when you could be dead. Your life has been preserved, where others have not been.
There is yet work for /you/ to do

… so get to it.

Much has got to be expected

I’m doing my psychiatry rotation right now, and I’ve most recently spent some time working in child psych. And every day, without fail, I hear horrific tales of broken and desperate and completely dysfunctional, unacceptable childhoods.

[ That’s the case more often than not – though occasionally we have patients who were raised in supportive, functional families ]

Anyways – the more I see this, the more I find myself (1) thanking God for all that He has given me and (2) asking Him why He did.

I know a few things:

I know He doesn’t love me more that the people who walk in to our clinic. I don’t think for a second that He doles out blessing, or circumstances for that matter, based on how much He loves His children. Nope – we’re definitely all loved equally.

I know that having a mental illness means a lot of hard work in order to get well. Between medical and psychotherapy options available today, it’s a commitment – and regardless of how you go about it, it’s a long and challenging road. And it’s one that impacts many of those who surround you.

I know Luke 12:48, where Jesus straight up says: From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

And I know that I’ve been given much.
And I feel like – I haven’t taken this responsibility seriously enough in the past.

My path has been made straight. I’ve been given everything (and more) that I needed to succeed.
I’ve wanted for nothing. And that just isn’t the reality of the majority of the world.

So I don’t believe that I’m meant to sort of float through the world wearing nice clothes and buying nice cars. I believe I’ve been given so much in order to do much. I believe that God uses us, because human hands and human feet are His best tools on this Earth. And I believe my job is to surrender fully to whatever plans He has – and to expect that they will be hard and they will require sacrifice, and to not expect that is just plain insanity.

If not us who have been given everything – then whom? Those who are born in to poverty? Those who are struck with chronic illness? Those who are struggling to pay their bills?

Get me not wrong – every single person has a significant role to fill in God’s great plans; but if we find ourselves expecting things of others with less fortunate circumstances, then we best be willing to step up and drop everything for anything that God calls us to.

MUCH IS REQUIRED.

Worth the effort.

My drive home every evening takes me around a bay – and on a clear, sunny day it’s breathtaking.

Today was one such day. The sky was littered with fluffy white clouds and the sun was present in their midst. As I ogled at their existence, I noticed the effect of the sun on the surrounding clouds.

And it was a pretty ground breaking observation…

WHAT I NOTICED
…was that the closer the clouds were to the sun, the more brilliant they appeared, while those that were found at a distance, took on a darker, less white, more grey appearance.

OUTSTANDING!!!

… or not

So I realize that’s fairly obvious. BUT it made me think about the other Son we know.
And how… the closer we are to Him, the brighter we shine.
Which made me think – that making a sincere effort to go pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament is important.

Hence – worth the effort.

We are ten.

Abraham’s chat with God in Genesis 18 is phenomenal.

As God talks of His plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham questions Him of what He will do if he finds 50, 40, 30 and eventually only 10 who are righteous. God agrees that if there are 10 who are righteous, He will not destroy the cities. Sodom and Gomorrah were believed to have been populated with about 1200 people at the time of this discussion, making 10 righteous inhabitants less than 1% of the population.

I think that’s a pretty bold statement about how valuable life is to God.

His promise declares that though 1190 people might loathe Him in all they say and do; though they abandon His laws and reject His love, He will spare their lives for the sake of less than 1% of the population; for just 10 people.

Only 10.

Could this still be true of our lives today? Of our city? Province? Of our country?

As our God endures the rejection of abortion, as He is repeatedly thrown out of public institutions and as His people disagree and seek division instead of unity – does He spare us because of a minority of righteous peoples?

We are 10.
We may be small in numbers. But I wonder if it’s enough.

Though our country is overwhelmingly turning away from our God, will He continue to spare us if we remain faithful? Can our commitment to God’s plans for our own lives save our country?

In his abundant grace, He’s never asked for more than we are able to give.

So choose to be one of 10. Choose to give everything for the sake of the rest.

Live sacrificially. Simply. Faithfully.

We are 10.
And I think that’s enough.

The path of least resistance

Soooo….
You meet this lady. As you begin chatting with her, you discover that when she was a child, she went to a public school. When she got to grade 8, she had a teacher she never really got along with. One day the teacher made a remark that really rubbed this girl the wrong way. In fact, she was so upset by this remark that she decided never to return to school. She was a bright girl though, and did enjoy learning – so she decided that she would educate herself for the rest of her life. It’s 5 years later, and she’s completed her high school equivalent degree through self study. Sure, it took a year longer and a lot more effort – but she did it! And she did well. She has similar plans for her post-secondary education as she intends to pursue a certification she can earn outside the classroom.

Alsoooo…
Your dad doesn’t like the doctor. He went to a doctor when he was in the 12th grade and was advised incorrectly. His doctor messed up and it cost him a year of disability. He promised himself he would never return. He resolved to use the internet for the rest of his life to take care of his health because the healthcare system he had previously been involved in sure didn’t work!

--

We are fallible little human beings. We screw up. We say the wrong things and we act unkindly from time to time. We misunderstand the people we meet and so we fail to meet their needs. It happens – and I suspect it always will.
Occasionally, these dysfunctional interactions are pretty bad. And they manage to skew our impression of an entire group of people, institution or organization based on a single conversation.

But that doesn’t make our skewed impressions right.

If I ran in to lady A, I might try and convince her to give the university system a try. Yes, she was wronged and that shouldn’t have happened. But it isn’t a fair reflection on the education system as a whole. That being said, fair impressions aren’t why I would encourage her to try again. I generally believe that the established post-secondary education system will provide her the easiest route to achieving her educational goals. Sure, she may succeed otherwise, but it would seemingly be a lot of needless time and effort on her part, given that a system is already in place that has repeatedly shown itself to work.

Similarly, I would share these concerns with my dad. While he might successfully bumble his way through an abundance of internet sites and somehow manage to take care of himself and any illness that befalls him – it just doesn’t seem worth the effort, when there’s already a system in place that works.

I think the same is true of the Church. There’s this thought that seems increasingly prevalent these days suggesting that the Church is an unnecessary entity. That eternal happiness can be found on our own and the Church just gets in the way of that. People are choosing to find their own way to Heaven, and see no place for the Church that journey. Whether it’s the result of a disappointing encounter with a member of the Church or an enlightenment of sorts they’ve reached independently – I don’t think it’s the answer.

Since Jesus left this Earth, His people have been banded together to form the Church He established. She has undergone trials of her own and her people haven’t always been faithful, but as an institution – she has successfully led her faithful followers to their eternal place of rest. Those who follow her precepts earnestly find the peace and happiness their hearts desire. She is well established and her instruction is true.

So while there are some who never step foot inside a church who we’ll meet in heaven, I’m opting for the path that is well trodden. Though many of life’s circumstances reward those who make their own way – the consequence here is too great for me to stumble along a path of no guarantees. 2000 years of success sounds good to me!

Marriage.. why for.

Dating, love, marriage. Ah.

I’m a super indecisive person. About almost everything.

Making decisions isn’t really my thing – I don’t find myself often with preferences for one thing over another. It makes life easy for me, though I suspect frustrating for some of those around me. So I’m working on it…

Anyways.

I think this ends up as a pretty big blessing, for it’s with ease that I pray “Lord have your way” – relieved of the responsibility of making many a decision.

I obviously don’t mean to advocate for sitting around doing nothing until lightening strikes. Instead I set out in a direction that, to the best of my discernment, is God’s will. But I don’t stop asking for His will to be done, acknowledging that His prompting at any time could change the path I’ve set before me.

Just as that’s been my prayer for school, careers, ministry and friendship – so too has it been the prayer of my vocation. Marriage or single life, religious life or not, I desire happiness and holiness – and I’m convinced that they are found in following God’s specific plan for my life.

Anyways, recently someone asked me why I wanted to get married. And I realized, with surprise, I didn’t have a quick answer.

But eventually I did.

[Ctrl C + Ctrl V]

I want to get married because I want to go to Heaven. And I believe it's God's will for me to get married.

Sometime last year, I wondered what kind of vocation God had for me, be it religious or marriage or single life - and then one Sunday in Mass, when one of the readings was Ephesians 5:22 onwards, I felt a keen awareness that I would be married. There have been a couple times in my life when God has assured me that something is true, and this was one of those times. It's not really a romantic answer.

At the end of the day, my hope is to go to heaven. And sometimes I think that appears to take meaning away from things that happen on the Earth... as though I'm "using" the Sacrament of marriage to obtain a greater good. Perhaps I am. I guess that's sort of how it is with all the Sacraments.. they contain beauty and abundance in and of themselves.. but their sort of overarching goal is to get us to Heaven. I don't think the Sacrament of marriage is too different from that. I think it's an opportunity to become Holy... and to learn to love like Jesus loves. I think it also holds a promise of joy and companionship... but you're right... that can't be enough. Because if the day after I get married - my spouse gets in a disabling car accident or suffers a major stroke - my purpose and intention for marriage can't suddenly be wiped away. And if all I hoped for or desired was babies and good conversation, then my hopes would be crushed. But if I aspire for Holiness, then come hell or high water, nothing external can strip my vocation of its purpose.

So, yes – if Jesus says my path of least resistance to Heaven is through marriage, then I want to get married!

The physical presence…

... of a human being compares to little.

And when they’re not close, I feel their absence.

I don’t really understand why… given that little of my close relationships are based on physical touch.
Yet, when those I love are far from me, I genuinely miss them.

I find this hard to explain since technology now makes almost anything possible
I can see them
I can hear them
I can talk to them
… but it’s just not quite the same.

And when they return, we share an embrace, sure, but it’s their ongoing physical presence that brings me comfort… joy… delight.

Yesterday was one such day when I found myself wishing I was in the company of a certain someone.
Incidentally, that very morning in prayer, I had asked the Lord for a greater understanding of the Eucharist.

And so it was that on this Sunday, when we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi – a pretty clear parallel began to sketch itself out.

It remains a thought without full understanding – but I think it’s right

Though I can talk to and even see those distant from me in real time, it doesn’t compare to the relationship we share when we’re together. And I think it’s the same with Jesus. I can seek Him in prayer in the quiet of my room, and it’s just as legitimate a way of knowing him as a phone call is with a friend. Our interaction is real.

But I think He offers more – I don’t think our experience of Jesus on this Earth is meant to be limited to a phone call. He offers us abundance… through prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and through receiving Him in the Eucharist – we enjoy a physical, tangible relationship with our Saviour.

And the value of this is clear.

Just as we find greater satisfaction in our earthly relationships when they become tangible, so too is our relationship with Jesus enhanced by our physical experience of Him.

Happy feast of Corpus Christi!

Exothermy...

In chemistry, I think there are two kinds of chemical reactions. There are ones that REQUIRE energy to proceed and there are ones that RELEASE energy at their completion. The former are called endothermic, and the latter exothermic.

I think that’s how it works.

And I think exothermic reactions are the more favourable ones, whereby, when two molecules meet – they require nothing else to proceed and will spontaneously react, releasing energy. (contrasted with the less favourable endothermic collision, that will not proceed unless heat/energy is supplied)

Chemistry.

I often find it a bit hard to explain what happens to and in me when I receive the Eucharist. I don’t find it particularly easy to articulate why receiving Jesus is different than just knowing Him in prayer.

But this is my new thought.

As a baptized, confirmed, practicing Catholic, the Holy Spirit dwells within me. And then when I receive Jesus in the Eucharist – well, there’s no doubt that their meeting is a favourable interaction. And through their interaction, which I think is best identified as love, instead of releasing heat, they release grace. And that grace transforms me, strengthens me, and makes me new.

The Trinity.

Rules? I don't think so...

I have a friend who vehemently disagrees with reading instruction manuals. I was helping her set up her apartment one day, which necesarily included some do-it-yourself furniture from IKEA, and there I came to appreciate the value of the aforementioned instructions.

So we had a couple options we might pursue in order to acheive this end. We could read the enclosed, step-by-step instructions or we could try and figure out how to assemble her desk ourselves. Thinking we were a couple of bright university students, we chose the latter.

2 hours later, we re-visited our starting point and chose the former. And within 25 minutes, her desk was up and running..


I'm often told that the faith that I ascribe to is a long list of rules. I'm told it's restrictive. I'm told it's an assault on my freedom.
Interesting, I say.

But I do disagree.

I don't think it's rules. I think it just makes sense.

In the assembly of furniture, if the instructions are neglected, you end up with a consumer newly acquainted with their purchase, bumbling around trying to create something that maybe they've seen a couple times on display in the store.
To me, this makes little sense when, included in the package, are detailed instructions on how the product is best assembled. Intuitively, it makes sense that if the designer has included directions, they will provide the path of least resistance to the desired end.

I think the same holds true when we talk about the purportedly restrictive rules the Church has ever espoused. The Church has no hidden agenda - she gains very little from the obedience of her congregation. More often that not, her teachings result in persecution rather than pleasure. And yet she continues to espouse them.

Because they make sense.

See, if I believe that I have been uniquely crafted by God, and if I also believe that He has not only created me, but also set before me guidelines within which to live my life (communicted through His Church), then I naturally I think it logical to follow them - or at the very least, to give them the time of day. So quickly today the teachings of the Church are easily dismissed on the basis of being old-fashioned, or just because they depart from the norm of society today. But before they can be dismissed, I think they need to be tested.

In my 22 years of life, I've lived a life in line with the Church's teachings, and I've lived a life that rejects her instruction. And I say without hesitation that the former has brought me exceedingly more joy, peace and warmth-in-my-soul satisfaction than the latter.

And this really shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

The One who has created us, and placed in our hearts a deep desire for happiness, for real joy, knows what it is that will fill us. Our God has not rejected the superfluous pleasures of society so that we would lead lives of misery. It is such the opposite. He has seen how they tease the spirit. He has seen the brokeness that's left when they're gone. He knows the high they provide - but He also knows the depth of the residual low.

And He demands better for His beloved.

So we're called to a life pursuant of everlasting joy. The road map has been set before us by the Church. It isn't meant to oppress us, and it certainly isn't meant to lead us through lives of misery. The Church espouses a life of freedom. It encourages a self-discipline that allows the human person to take control of their own lives, to be free from the slavery of our passions; discerning that, when we experience this freedom, we will find great joy.

As a human family, we are all walking this life looking for happiness. We can either bumble our way around and hope to one day end up there - or we can recognize the treasure of the Church's teachings and jump on the express train.

Muscles of love

Everyone has muscle. You’re born with it. You develop it as you grow from an infant to a toddler and a toddler to a teen. But everyone has a different muscle mass. And to a large extent, the amount of muscle we have is based on the choices we make and the lifestyle we live.

I had a friend go in to the hospital for surgery last year. Her stay ended up being extended due to some complications that landed her bedridden in the ICU for a couple days. She recovered fully (praise God) and when we were later talking about her experience, one of the first things she mentioned was how her strength was significantly altered when she left the hospital. See, if we don’t use our muscles, if we lie in bed all day long – whether by choice or by circumstance – our body thinks it a waste to divert a larger than necessary amount of oxygen and nutrients to muscles we aren’t using. And so they begin to shrink , to atrophy, and we lose some of our visible muscle mass and functional strength.

The opposite, of course, happens when we exercise. When stress is placed on your muscles, they break down. And then tomorrow, they are re-built to be stronger than they were originally. And the more you stress them, the bigger and stronger they become. It’s not an irreversible process though, and so, when you take an extended break from whatever form of resistance training you may have been doing, your muscles will lose some of their acquired strength.

The efficiency of the body!

I think our capacity to love is much like the strength of a muscle.

We have choices in our love. We can choose to just love when it’s convenient. To offer a smile or a helping hand when it’s easy. But that’s a pretty superficial, self-serving kind of love. It doesn’t challenge our natural inclinations. It doesn’t cost us anything. It puts no strain on our heart. And so our ability to love doesn’t get stronger. Nope, I think that as we accustom ourselves to love in this way, we begin to teach our heart a pattern. And our ability to love sort of shrivels up.

I think the opposite happens too. There are people in this world who choose to love sacrificially on a daily basis. And it brings them great joy. They are constantly rebelling against the natural inclinations of their fallen flesh. They give up their own desires that they might fulfill the needs of another. They challenge their seemingly feeble selves, until one day they are no more the frail heart they once were. They are constantly breaking down their weak muscle, only to find it stronger the next day. And so, just as over time, we can go from lifting 10lbs to lifting 30lbs – so too, with time and use, our capacity to love is expanded.

When John Paul II was shot – he was able to go with peace and forgive the man who wanted him dead. Did he receive that grace overnight? Unlikely.
I’m more inclined to believe it was his lifetime of selfless service to his flock and the whole world that prepared him.

We won’t all be shot. But we will all find ourselves in situations where our ability to love is challenged. And I think we will only be able to respond generously if that has been the practice of our daily lives. Whether in friendships, relationships or family ties – it is our mandate to love. A la 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

Mortal sin – here we gooooo

Mortal sin is tough. Straight up.

I think it’s hard to reconcile the notion of an all-loving, ever-loving God with the existence of Hell. I think this is in part due to our present day notion that we deserve things – our sense of entitlement if you will.
So it’s kind of hard for us to accept that heaven shouldn’t be handed to us on a silver platter.

I think the truth is that we are blessed beyond our knowledge. And part of that blessing is our free will.

I’m not that smart - But the Church is.
Soooo here’s what she has to say…

1861 Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ's kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church

So mortal sin is a big deal.
It’s a huge deal.

It’s also kind of hard to accept – that a single, voluntary action of grave nature committed with full knowledge can keep us from inheriting the eternal Kingdom our Father has prepared for us.

Sooooo when things are hard to understand – I find myself looking for comparables in this world.
Here’s one.

I think mortal sin is like this…
I once heard a priest explain how or why it could be possible, using the example of a man who jumps off a bridge. He doesn’t have to jump 10 times to die – it only takes one moment, one choice, and his life on Earth is over. So Father Larry suggested that, in the same way, a single action on this Earth can have that same degree of eternal consequence.

I’d like to slightly modify that…
I think when we commit a mortal sin – it’s as though we jump out of a helicopter in to the ocean.
The ocean breaks our fall, and we survive for the moment.
The helicopter then throws a rope out, reaching down to pull us to safety.
And so we remain in the water – with a choice.
A choice to grab a hold of the rope and be pulled back to safety, or a choice to fight to stay afloat in the water as long as we are able to tread water, but then eventually to tire and die.

Our God is a God of endless mercy. His rope is strong. His call is unending.
He beckons us to choose Him. To trust Him. To hang on to the rope He extends – and He guarantees our safety.

I believe the rope He offers us is the gift of Reconciliation – the Sacrament of Confession.

He doesn’t ask for gold or silver; for your happiness or for your possessions – but just for a repentant heart. He calls us to the confessional where His tender mercy is overflowing from the mouth of His minister.

The gift of Reconcilliation is the lifeline that will be present for the rest of your life and mine.
We can struggle and fight on our own in the waters of sin – or we can reach up and hang on tight to a lifeline that will not fail.

If you or I witnessed a man fighting needlessly for his life with help so near by – would we not desperately urge him to cling on to the rope that holds the hope of new life?

The good for the great...

When Jesus reappeared to the Apostles after His Death and Ressurection – I don’t think I could imagine their joy. Yes they had found the empty tomb, and yes they knew that Christ had risen from the grave – but how full their hearts must have been when they first came to recognize His presence amongst them once again.

And then He ascended in to Heaven – then He left them again.

So I wonder – If they had had a choice in whether or not to let their Lord physically leave them, could they have been persuaded? Even with the promise of greater things to come (John 14:12), would they have been willing to risk it? I’m not sure I would have, in their shoes. I don’t think I could have imagined anything greater than walking beside the Lord. I think I would have clung on tight.

But praise God that His plans are greater than ours – that He is able to see beyond our vision, that He is indeed a God of the great and impossible. And so Jesus left and the Church was founded. And it spread throughout the world. And men and women were drawn to the perfect and sustaining love of God. And lives were transformed. And goodwill was propagated. And the Apostles worked miracles. And Jesus Christ was lifted high.

Because God had His way.

I think the Apostles were ‘fortunate’ in a sense. They had no say in whether or not Christ was going to stay. When His Father called him to Heaven – that was that, He was going.

But I think in our lives sometimes, we need to be just as submissive to the Lord’s calling. Christ’s obedience was perfect, and so He went without looking back. But sometimes I wonder if I’m more like the apostles might have been. I don’t know that I’m always ready to let go and give up the good that I have. But I think we’re asked to give up the good, in anticipation of the great. We’re called not to settle for mediocrity, but to realize our full potential – as a favourite author of mine says – to become the best version of ourselves (Matthew Kelly).

It’s a somewhat terrifying thing to do – knowing that the good that we give up may never be realized again. But it’s a risk worth taking. The Father doesn’t lead us to a place He hasn’t prepared for us. He called His Son. And then He sent His Spirit. So, too, in our lives – when we open our hands, He takes what doesn’t belong and replenishes them with abundance.

I love you so much – but not enough. yet.

Temptation is a funny thing – one I used to think only existed in the secular, tangible world.

And my solution to temptation has generally been avoidance, as possible.
If I’m fasting from chocolate during the season of lent, I eliminate it from my cupboards and keep it off my grocery list. If I’m inclined towards sin with a certain man, I avoid situations that might permit us to fall. I think it’s pretty reasonable. Chocolate is chocolate, so there isn’t much to say about that. But with a man, I’m often able to recognize that if I loved him with a perfect love, my selfish desires would be undermined by my desire for his well-being and that would be enough to keep us from sin. Unfortunately, I’ve found that this isn’t always the case, and my love isn’t always pure or perfect or able to withstand significant temptation. And that’s why avoidance becomes my strategy.

The other day I was driving home post-call and realized that Mass would be starting shortly at our Parish. As I was deciding to go, I realized I had an apology I needed to offer. Though the issue was not mortal sin territory, I still felt like I needed to seek forgiveness before receiving Jesus – and knew that I had been avoiding it for a few days. I then considered going to Mass and not receiving the Eucharist, but I found myself in a similar sort of place I had found myself before with a man. This idea that because I loved Jesus so much, (but not enough), I didn’t know if I would be able to resist Him in the Eucharist. And so, from a desire not to dishonor Him with my sin, I kept my distance until that afternoon when I was reconciled with the other.

As our love grows, I think we go through phases. Simply put, I think we begin with an attraction to another that entices us to spend time with them, to invest in them, to learn about them. As our relationship begins to establish itself, I think we often end up in a place where we feel compelled to serve the other in a certain capacity, but aren’t necessarily more concerned with their wellbeing than we are with our own. And often we get stuck here.

If we persevere, if we push through, if we seek to love perfectly, we eventually end up in a place where we are ready to lay down our lives for the sake of another. We find ourselves offering a selfless and sacrificial love. Our love begins to resemble that of our Lord who allowed nails to pierce His hands and feet that we might have the Best. Not just that which is good, but that which is Best.

We are all capable of offering that kind of love – because the Lord who created it is alive and at work in each one of us. It is thus our choice of where we will settle, where we will end up. Will we only love enough to maintain our relationships, or will we give everything, aware of the hurt and disappointment that will follow, but still able to give, as we find our foundation in love Himself.

Drawn in to love...

The love of the Trinity is phenomenal. Potentially so phenomenal that we can’t understand it. But when I think about the love of the Trinity – I understand it as three which become one because of a powerful and binding love. Minutely similar to us – our human bodies are essentially held tightly together by connective tissue galore. Without these binding factors, we would quickly fall apart in to our many individual parts. I think that’s sort of how the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are bound together as one God – bound by a love so strong, so selfless and so stable that it can take three and make them one, in the same way that small structures in our body take our individual parts and make them one.

So I think this makes the Eucharist AMAZING. Because when Jesus enters our body – we, too, are drawn in to that love. The love of the Trinity is necessarily imparted to us and poured forth from us – because Jesus, who we hold within us, cannot be isolated from the love of the Father and Holy Spirit. And so, as Father and Spirit pour forth love, we are enveloped in a pure and perfect love – and as Christ’s love contributes to the Three in One – we become capable of expressing a perfect, selfless, sacrificial love.

I think that’s right…