Faith Through Love

        In our Scripture Readings this Sunday, Jesus reminds us that the greatest way to live out our faith is through love. The obligations of our faith provide us opportunities to love, honor and praise the Lord. They are meant to aid us in deepening our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We are called to love God with our whole heart and not to simply go through the motions by “honoring God with our lips.”

        St. James reminds us in our second reading how to do just that, as he proclaims, “All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” He is reminding us that each day is an opportunity to respond to God’s infinite love for us with love and gratitude in return. If we approach our relationship with Jesus with this in mind, then we begin to realize that the gift of the Mass is an opportunity to worship God, the sacraments are ways to draw us closer to Him, and His commandments are opportunities to love Him more faithfully. When we embrace each moment with this in mind, then we begin to see just how many blessings God has given us.

        Looking at life through the lens of gratitude helps us to see each moment as a gift with endless opportunities to respond in love. It begins by rising each day with a prayer of thanksgiving, offering our daily tasks as a prayer to the Lord, seeking ways to share our gifts and talents with others, saying a prayer of thanksgiving before meals, sharing a word of affirmation, or taking time to reflect on how much God loves us and how we can best love Him in return. This is how we ought to live our lives – by recognizing them as a gift and an opportunity to love God in response to how He has loved us.

        Let us look into our hearts and ask ourselves why we live our faith the way we do. Let us strive to pray earnestly, attend Mass with love and devotion, serve others out of love for God and recognize just how blessed we are. It is in these simple moments that we love extraordinarily and honor God wholeheartedly.

May God love and bless you!
Sr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, IHM