What a mass reading today, it challenges you to the very core...

1 John 4:11-18

My dear people, since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another.

Sounds easy really but it is not, everyone is so different, we all have difficulties in our lives many that we do not share with the outside world. It is difficult sometimes there are those people at work that we do not get along with or we don't like their methods or choices but that is where we are challenged to not judge others but to be an image of Christ's love radiating out, why?...

No one has ever seen God; but as long as we love one another God will live in us and his love will be complete in us.

Wow, I mean wow... if we love others, Gods love will be complete in us, can you think of anything more comforting, but it is difficult we can strive as best we can, but what does that mean?

We can know that we are living in him and he is living in us because he lets us share his Spirit.

He is living in us, the more we let God in, the more we can know Him and rely on Him, the more we are given the strength to cope with life.

We ourselves saw and we testify that the Father sent his Son as saviour of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God.

So John and his bud's saw first hand that Jesus was the Messiah, and they have strived to pass this message on and for 2000 years the words has spread and strengthened, right down to those of us who have heard the message ourselves, who have challenged it and found it to be a solid rock. And what does that mean, that God lives in you... I mean thats is pretty big since like he created the world, why would He want to live in us? Because He loves us and as any father, wants to help us, ease our burdens etc.

We ourselves have known and put our faith in God's love towards ourselves. God is love and anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him.

So John and his bud's put it to the test themseves, they believe and put their trust in the Lord, it seems to work...

Love will come to its perfection in us when we can face the day of Judgement without fear; because even in this world we have become as he is.

So then the more we strive to love each other, that non judgemntal, forgiving love the more God's love is perfected in us giving us the graces needed to love our neighbor etc. Then this means that we can face judgement day withour fear... wow, I mean without fear! and why because the more we try to be like Christ the more He works in us, can you see the loop?

And so...

In love there can be no fear, but fear is driven out by perfect love: because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love.

So all in all, in the long run, it seems easier to strive to love those we work with, those we meet on the street as we will not only be bringing Christ to those people but we are helping ourselves become more like Christ, and this drives out fear, we can rely on Christ for anything no matter how big or small. To fear is to expect punishment and by striving to perfect our love we can hope to find Christ with open arms when that day arrives.

Wow

Even though we try and fail Christ is always there supporting us and to have that reassurance that the more we try the better it will be, is truly a comfort I think!