Posted by The WORD in other words (2009) by Fr. Oliver Quilab, SVD – Germany
Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle – May 14
Filipinos sometimes joke about aesthetically challenged persons by saying, “He/She has a face that only a mother can love”. The idea behind this phrase is that a normal mother, or a father for that matter, loves her child regardless of any physical or character flaws that the child may possess.acred heart
Sociologists have long proposed a theory of the looking-glass self: we become what the most significant person in our lives (wife, husband, mother, father, teacher, boss) thinks we are. How fortunate are those of us who are loved unconditionally by our significant others!
Jesus’ passion for life and mission emanates from a deep conviction of God’s abiding love. The Father’s explicit declaration of His love for Jesus at the Baptism on the Jordan —“This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased”—became a defining moment in Jesus’ self-understanding.
His intimate relationship with his Abba empowered Him to pass it on to others. His life is the truest example of love lived out to the fullest. He was so consumed by the fire of God’s love that it sustained him throughout even his darkest hours.
I wonder how our lives would change if we truly believed in God’s astounding love for each one of us. How would our looking-glass selves transform if every time we look into the mirror we see ourselves only as God sees us? May our joy then be complete.
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