As a priest, I often meet people—both Christians and non-Christians—who, directly or indirectly, see God as a stern taskmaster: someone to be feared, someone to be appeased, someone always watching for faults, ready to punish. There is an impression that God is more eager to condemn than to save. It is in this context that we must hear the Gospel verse often called “everybody’s text”: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
This verse reminds us that God has always loved the world and every human person. It is easy for us to imagine a God who waits to punish us when we stray, disobey, or rebel. But it is much harder to truly believe, deep in our hearts, that each one of us matters to God—despite our brokenness, our sins, and our failures. Today’s Gospel assures us that God is a loving Father who longs for his wandering children to come back to him.
The Gospel also reveals how vast and inclusive God’s love is. God loved the whole world—not just a particular religion, group, or nation. He loved all, and so he gave his only Son. His love reaches the unlovable, the forgotten, those who have no one, those who think of God and those who do not. It reaches those who accept his love and those who reject it. No one is outside the reach of this love. As St. Augustine beautifully reminds us, “God loves each one of us as if there was just one of us to love.”
Rev. Anish Kochanichottil, SJ
My name is Anish Kochanichottil. I am a Jesuit from India, currently residing at the Jerome Nadal Jesuit Residence while pursuing my MBA from Creighton University. Before coming to the USA, I was involved in school education for over a decade. My academic background includes a doctorate in education, with research focused on Critical Pedagogy and Missionary Education. I am truly excited to be part of the online ministry’s daily reflections and to share my insights.
