So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
"Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?"
John 21 : 15
John 21 : 15
This is the first message I received from the Lord as I start the first day of a new year.
Excited, after staying up late from welcoming the New Year, I rushed to my laptop computer to begin my daily readings, reflections. and prayers. I have already prepared a Database Program to store my entries for the new year. I have even cut and pasted a picture image of the "Crucified Christ" which I was able to do and fix before the struck of midnight last night.
Anyway, going back to my first order of the day, the Lord asked, "Do You Love Me More than these?
Like Peter, it is very easy for us to quickly answer "Yes, Lord," but when problems and fears struck us, we deny Him.
"Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me" the Lord said.
Deny ourselves?
Sell our riches and wealth?
Lord, please ask anything except this!
Same as the rich man who encountered Jesus, we would prefer to turn our backs to Jesus and walk away.
The world tells you, "No one can help you except yourself so you must be self-sufficient". Short of saying, "Live a Self-Centered Life!"
The Lord asked again, "Do You Love Me More than these?
Will we still be quick to answer Him, "Yes, Lord"?
Being painfully aware of these realities and knowing that I have failed the Lord many times before, I begun to re-think my position on how I should start my new year.
If I truly love Him, I will obey Him (John 14:15).
He does not need my resolutions, my recommitments, or my promises to try harder this year. If my resolution to obey God last year did not help me to be faithful, it will not make me successful this year. Jesus asked for my love, if I truly love him, my service for him in the new year will be the quality he desires.
With this in my mind, I prayed to Jesus for more enlightenment. . .
After praying, I continued reading Max Lucado's book entitled "It's Not About Me", a gift I received from my Parish Priest last Christmas. I was already in Chapter 7 and as I opened the book on the said Chapter, I got struck with its sub-title which reads, "God's Great Love"!
That's it!
I must focus and center each day of my life on the word "Love".
God's Love is the prime source of our strength to make each day work to our advantage.
Volume?
God's love can not be measured. No person has ever measured it nor plumbed its depth. It ascends the winding path of any desert and if one can follow the number of each desert sand until the end, you can hear God whisper, "This is how much I love you."
Impact?
God's love is pool of love, pure as snow, slackens the thirsty throat and softens the crusty heart. Immerse a life in God's love and watch it emerge cleansed and changed. This is the impact of God's love.
How would I really feel if I was in the shoes of Peter when the Lord completed his question by the words, "Do you love Me more than these? In the days to come, you will see me suffer for you and even die for you. This is how much I love you…"
Does God love you?
Behold the cross, the "Crucified Christ", and behold your answer.
Whip-ripped muscles drape his back. Blood rivulets over his face. His eyes and lips are swollen shut. Pain rages at wilfire intensity. As he sinks to relieve the agony of his legs, his airway closes. At the edge of suffocation, he shoves pierced muscles against the spike and inches up the cross. He does this for hours. Painfully up and down until his strength and our doubts are gone.
O God, how can I exchange you for anything?
How can I even think of all the material things I possess or desire, yet you are willing to give everything because of Your love for me?
"I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word, and I shall be healed!"
Earlier on, I made mention of taking time fixing, cutting and pasting a picture image of the "Crucified Christ" to my newly designed database program, before the struck of midnight last night.
Moved by God's Spirit on how Jesus suffered and died for me as an expression of his great love for me, I hurriedly edited the front page of my switchboard and at the bottom of the picture image, I placed the words, "This is how much I love you . . ."
Midway in my readings and reflections, I grabbed my cellphone and sent a text message to all my friends and my Parish Priest. The message reads,
"If you truly love GOD, your service for him in the new year will be the quality that he desires. May this year be filled with your love for Jesus. Happy New Year!"
My priest replied, "…And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart (Luke 2:19). As we welcome the year, may we share with the gift of Mary, the bearer of God, THEOTOKOS to reflect and remember God's Goodness and bring the Prince of Peace JESUS to the world. Blessed and Peaceful New Year!!!"
The Gospel Reading today is about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Truly, no one can match the love of a mother to a son.
I continued reading Max Lucado's book. Again, I was struck with a part of his writings that clearly manifested a mother's great love for a son.
England saw a glimpse of such love in 1878. The second daughter of Queen Victoria was Princess Alice. Her young son was infected with a horrible affliction known as black diptheria. Doctors quarantined the boy and told the mother to stay away. But she couldn't. One day she overheard him whisper to the nurse, "Why doesn't my mother kiss me anymore?" The words melted her heart (reflecting on them in her heart). She ran to her son and smothered him with kisses. Within a few days, she was buried. What would drive a mother to do such a thing? What would lead God to do something greater? One word says it all, LOVE. Trace the greatest action of God to the greatest attribute of God - His Love.
Coincidental happenings at the start of the new year? No!
God's living presence as a manifestation of His love? Yes!
God's Love has brought salvation to the world!
Lord Jesus, yes, I Love You. I reaffirm my love for you with the hope that my service will be of the quality that you desire. As I begin a new year, I am painfully aware that I have failed you many times. I have disobeyed your words, and have denied you in some aspects of my life. These things I have done does not speak of my true love for you and I am sorry. You have such a wonderful and amazing way of restoring me whenever I fail you. Never have you humiliated me, criticize me, nor ask that I make resolutions to try harder. To you my Lord, I say, "Happy New Year!". May my heart always rejoice in my love for you.
Date written: January 1, 2008
