One Minute Reflection – 14 October – “Month of the Holy Rosary” – Readings: Romans 3: 21-30; Psalms 130: 1b-6ab; Luke 11: 47-54
“And they began to act with hostility toward him… for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say. ” – Luke 11:53-54
REFLECTION – “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16). This only Son “was offered”, not because His enemies overcame Him but because “he surrendered himself” (cf. Is 53:12). “He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end” (Jn 13:1). This “end” was the death He accepted on behalf of those whom He loved; this was the end of all perfection, the end of perfect love, for “there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13).
This love of Christ, was stronger in the death of Chris, than His enemies’ hatred – for hatred could only do what love permitted it to do. Judas – or the enemies of Christ – delivered Him up to death through wicked hatred. The Father delivered His Son and the Son delivered Himself to death, through love (Rom 8:32; Gal 2:20). Love, however, is by no means guilty of betrayal; it is innocent even when Christ dies of it. Since love alone, is able to carry out with impunity, whatever it pleases. Only love can constrain God and, as it were, give Him orders! This it was, that caused Him to descend from Heaven and placed Him on the Cross; this it was, that shed Christ’s Blood for the remission of sins, in an act that was as innocent as it was salutary. All our thanksgiving for the salvation of the world ,is thus owing to love. And it constrains us, with inescapable logic, to love Christ as much as humans are able to hate Him! – Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury (c 1125-1190) also Baldwin of Forde Cistercian abbot, then Bishop (The Sacrament of the Altar, II, 1 ).
PRAYER – I Love You, O My God – By St Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859)
I love You,
O my God
and my only desire is to love You
until the last breath of my life.
I love You,
O my infinitely lovable God
and I would rather die loving You,
than live without loving You.
I love You, Lord
and the only grace I ask,
is to love You eternally
My God,
if my tongue cannot say
in every moment that I love You,
I want my heart to repeat it to You
as often as I draw breath.
Amen
AnaStpaul 