When moving forward into spring one can begin to see the changes that are taking place around us. The days are getting longer and the morning robins sing beautifully outside our chapel window.
The buds will be appearing on the trees and the grass will begin to transform from the old, dried-looking brownish green into the bright, jubilant, full-of-life green.
This is my favorite time of the year because it is the glimpse of the promise we live for. The hope that you and I have in eternal life is hinted at in this yearly transformation.
So, I was thinking the other day as I walked to Mass, “Lord, you have been so generous to me, so loving and caring, the human race is so broken. I am so broken. How is it that you still reach out your hand with gifts that shower us all on a daily basis?”
I sat in the chapel before Mass in hopes that my answer would be revealed – hopes that were eventually fulfilled.
He still showers us with his blessings and love not because we deserve it but because he paid the price for us. He gave us the hope of eternal life because of the debt he paid for us.
We have no money, we are bankrupt and don’t have a cent of anything of value to give our Lord on our own, yet he is the treasury of our wealth and riches. We can still be so arrogant and self-centered that we actually believe that we have accomplished our goals on our own.
We can have this righteous attitude that we know what is best for the world and for our neighbor that we forget about from where grace flows. We are easily misguided by thinking our wisdom is what gets the job done.
How often do we thank God in our daily life? Do we expect Jesus to do tricks and prove the love he has for us?
Love is the reason Jesus forgives and it is because of his love that we are able to forgive others who have hurt us.
I can tell you that being injured is painful. The injury can be physical, emotional or sexual, but if we want our Lord to forgive us, we must forgive others.
The fruits of forgiveness are a peace and joy that can be confused with emotions. We do not have to feel well to accomplish a right act. We have to know that it is right. How do we know what is the right act? Ask the good, solid question: what would Jesus do?
It is that simple to accomplish and that easy to spread. When people see us doing what Jesus would do, they begin to follow suit. Because it is in us to be good and do well – we can achieve it or else Jesus wouldn’t challenge us to do it.
Each and every day at Gannon we are faced with situations that can be easily handled if we stop before we react, take to prayer and just ask our Lord to guide us to the right course by following his way, not our concept of what is right and good.
Jesus loved his enemies and forgave those who persecuted him and ultimately died that we too may have the strength to do the same and so achieve a heavenly reward.
One of the sure ways of stumbling is to walk in the dark, and that is what we do when we do not follow what Jesus would do.
Following along with the gospels and letters of the New Testament, we can easily see that living with reasons for separation were the most offensive way to live.
We are no longer a community when we are divided and that can bring a tremendous amount of pain with it and the suffering reaches many who are looking for a community.
“Do not return evil for evil, but return good for evil and you will heap burning coals on the mouth of your enemy and the God of righteousness will look upon you.”
Do what Jesus would do and trust him.
