Homily: Monday of the first week in Lent (Love)

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 "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." 

Yesterday, one of our youths gave an inspiring testimony at all our Sunday Masses, sharing her experience from the Youth 2000 retreat. She shared that she has been comfortable in her relationship with Jesus and that gave her the impression that her faith in the Lord was good enough. But from the retreat, she realized something profound:

That if you are in a comfort zone in your love for God, then your relationship with Him is not growing.

God is infinite love, the supreme good. He can never be outdone in generosity; He can never be outdone in love. That means, the more we love Him, the more we will receive His love, and the more we will be transformed.

Her sharing made me reflect deeper. So, how then should my love for God be?

I do believe that I can do more for God, we can never love Him enough, there is always room for better, stronger, greater, deeper love for this great big God of ours.

And one of the most beautiful, yet challenging way to love God is to love our neighbor.

How should we love our neighbor?

The Lord says we should love them as ourself.

And how should we love ourself?

As God loves us.

He loves us unconditionally, without counting the cost, generously, with His whole life.

He suffered hunger and thirst, so that we may have real food and real drink. He accepted rejection so that He can welcome us into His Kingdom. He was stripped naked so that we could be clothed in mercy. He freed those who were imprisoned by illness, demons and sin, while he took on the death of a criminal.

That is how He loves. That is how we are to love.

The six acts of mercy require sacrifice – to deny self for the good of others.

As we continue this Lenten season, let us step out of our comfort zones and reach out to others, to love others as God loves us.

Amen.


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