A Jesuit Catholic University
in Omaha, Nebraska, since 1878

[140] Genesis 2:18-24 Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 Hebrews 2:9-11 Mark 10:2-16 or 10:2-12

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

Our society today is one that is very intimidating to those who find themselves venturing into it for the first time. Many are leaving college with thousands of dollars in debt and still have trouble finding substantive employment. Some have never lived in a world as an adult in which “recession” has not been the overriding economic theme. And most don’t know what it’s like to live in a country in which divorce isn’t about as common as marriage.

In the midst of so much negativity that has become such a natural part of the next generation’s lives, it’s difficult to fault those who lapse into the sense of pessimism that has become not only normal, but almost expected in today’s society.

It’s at times like this that seeking God in life becomes most difficult. And it is at times like this that seeking God in our lives, especially our relationships with others, becomes most important.

Time and time again, God shows us through scripture that one of the most (if not the most) fulfilling gifts we can give one another is the gift of love. The love of a brother and sister. The love of a parent to their child. Even the love between strangers who share a smile. I’ve written before on how love can vary (loving peanut butter vs. loving a spouse, for example), but to be a loving person, something else entirely is required.

We’ve all read, at one time or another, what it means to be loving: it means patience, forgiveness, and other tired reiterations of selflessness we’re all programmed to associate with this esoteric concept of “love”. But we forget, love of all things stems from one thing: the love shared between God and us. We cannot truly know love and love others until we love God, and use that love as the foundation for all that we do.

As we move on with this busy season in our lives, we need to remember that love is not a flame which we must kindle to prevent it from being extinguished forever. It is instead a foundation, from which all other things (patience, forgiveness, compassion) sprout. It is a foundation rooted in God, grown with God, and continued in God. Love is only forgotten when we lose track of the role God plays in our relationships with others, and only experienced when we allow God to give us this gift.