Imagine for a moment what your life would look like if you loved God with all your heart, soul, and mind – if you loved him with radical love. What would life be like if you fell completely and wholly in love with God? If you surrendered all of who you are to him what difference would this make in your life? I imagine that visions of bliss, peace, and happiness well up in your heart and mind. I also imagine that a bit of fear comes up as well. After all, such love requires that you give God full control of your life and this can seem scary. And yet, this is what Jesus calls us to do in today’s Gospel when he gives us the greatest of all the commandments.
He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. – Matthew 22:37-38 (NRSVCE)
Living in Radical Love
When we love God with radical love he will, in return, draw us into a bliss beyond what this world can promise. Such bliss is beyond human comprehension, and yet, it is easily available to God’s children. Like all good fathers, God wants to shower us with gifts of love and he wants us to experience all of the goodness our hearts desire. However, before we can fully receive his shower of abundant love we must complete a prerequisite. We must love God all our heart, soul, and mind – we must love God with radical love. And this means loving all of God’s children. Which leads us to the second commandment Jesus gave the Pharisee in today’s Gospel.
And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ – Matthew 22:39 (NRSVCE)
To love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves are one in the same. Jesus tells us many times throughout the Gospels that our Triune God dwells within us – each of us. Yes, the God who loves us beyond our human comprehension is alive in each and every one of us. He is alive in every person we encounter – every one of our neighbors. Even those we find hard to love…
A Little History
A little history is in order here before we move forward. The Pharisee, being a scholar of the law, was very familiar with the Decalogue (The 10 Commandments). Additionally, he was also very familiar with that 613 Mitzvot – the 613 commandments in the Torah at the time of Jesus. These laws, in many respects, had become a barrier between God and his children. Instead of focusing on the love of God and how to grow and his love, many people were directed by their religious leaders to follow the law out of fear. It was a sad state of affairs indeed.
Then enters Jesus to set things straight and open the door to radical love. He came to show us how to love radically and fully. Once we love as Jesus, then and only then, will we follow all of the law naturally, and with ease. God’s laws will no longer be a burden when we live fully in his love. Instead, his laws become the natural outcome of living in such radical love.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” Matthew 5:17-18 (NRSVCE)
Only With God
We can only practice radical love with the help of our Triune God. Our God, the one who dwells within each and every one of us, is infinitely available to his children. He is ready to help us as we strive to love our neighbors and ourselves more fully.
When we practice radical love towards God, with all her heart, soul, and mind we love ourselves and our neighbors with all our heart, soul, and minds as well. We cannot have radical love for God without having it for ourselves and our neighbors. It is through loving our neighbors as ourselves that we enter into a radical love relationship with God. And it is God within us who teaches us how to love so fully! Yet, we must do our part and this is where we can get tripped up. Sometimes it’s hard to love ourselves and our neighbors with all our heart, soul, and mind isn’t it?
Miracles Will Happen
In our first reading today we see where Ruth practiced radical love for her mother-in-law Naomi. This love had a profound effect on Ruth’s life. As a result of her radical love for Naomi great things happened in Ruth’s life. One of the greatest blessings, if not the greatest blessing in her life, is the fact that Ruth, a Moabite (a non-Jew), would become the great-grandmother of King David. From King David’s line, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus would be born! Talk about radical love!
When we practice radical love infinite blessings enter into the world around us. Blessings enter into our lives and they become a part of the fabric of the inheritance we give our children, our children’s children, and the generations that follow. God’s blessings, and the miracles that accompany them, flow to the thousandth generation when we enter into radical love.
Life Isn’t Always Easy
Life isn’t always easy and sometimes it can feel downright miserable. And it definitely isn’t easy to practice radical love for God, ourselves, and our neighbors when times are hard. Maybe you can relate. Many (most…all…) of God’s children experience difficult times during various seasons of their lives. I too have experienced my share of heartaches, disappointments, and periods of hopelessness. Periods of time where it was difficult to even consider radical love, let alone live it. Looking back I can see that such pain had it’s impetus in my sins and the sins of my ancestors. Experience tells me that the whole concept about suffering passing down to the third and fourth generation is indeed true.
Claim Your Blessings
God offers a divine silver lining, tucked away inside our cloud of pain. Through our pain we are presented with an opportunity to grow in greater love for ourselves, others, and God. My desire to make a difference in the world and the work that I now engage in, is certainly part of silver lining in my clouds of pain. How about you?
God’s blessings are vast and infinite for those who surrender to radical love. We can indeed choose a new trajectory for our lives and the lives of those who follow us with God’s help. Through the trials and tribulations of my life I have learned one thing: our Triune God is always faithful and we can count on him.
The Prodigal Son
When we turn to God he hears us and he takes action. His action is like the father in the parable of the prodigal son. In this parable the father runs to the property line when he sees his son approaching. This means the father was constantly on the look-out for his son! Waiting for him to return home. Yet, notice that the father didn’t cross the property line. No, the father stood firm and he never left his property.
Likewise, our heavenly Father runs to us when we approach his property line. He reaches us at the perfect location – his divine property line. In order to experience him we must approach this line, a property line set in love. And like the prodigal son, before God can celebrate our homecoming bash, we must return home to this house built on love. He will meet us there and a divine feast and celebration will soon follow!
If we are trapped in hate, anger, unforgiveness, or fear we are not on God’s property. Sadly, we are like the prodigal son, trapped with the swine, starving for what our Father so lovingly wants to give us. It’s time for mankind to go home to the house built on radical love – the house our Father built for us and for the generations that will follow us. The house that is our inheritance.
Today’s World
Today’s world is in need of radical love and a return to God’s home of love. Through love and forgiveness we can make a difference in the world and we can tear down the divisions of the world. Today, let’s pray for our neighbors and family members who we find difficult to love and forgive. Maybe we have a hurtful past with them. Maybe they are of a different race, creed or color. Whatever the reason for the division God can, and will, heal all divisions when we turn to him with trust. Through prayer and radical love God will help us tear down the walls of division and we can truly live as God originally intended his children to live – swaddled in radical love.
Further Meditation
On my website I share several forms of meditation I use on a regular basis to more fully experience God that I would like to share with you. I call them Fasting of The Mind. Here is the link my friends – enjoy: Fasting of The Mind
May you and your family be blessed my friends in Christ. – Carolyn
Sacred Heart of Jesus – have mercy on us.
Father God – consume us.
Holy Spirit – enter in to us.
Mother Mary – pray for us.
Saint Louis IX – pray for us.
