A series of meditative questions about love.

 Can I see annoyances & contradictions as opportunities to …practice LOVE?

           Continuing on our journey to love well our question this week is Can I see annoyances & contradictions as opportunities to ...practice love?  Our path got steeper when we were called to love everyone as ourselves. Now we find the path is not only steep but getting a little rocky!  There are lots of rocks: challenging people, situations, and disappointments in life that can trip us up. Are we to trust the Lord only when things are going our way? (ICWG V5 Pg. 344) The struggles we have in life can actually be opportunities – opportunities to practice love: patience, mercy, gentleness, compassion, and our listening skills!  At the sermon on the mount, after laying out the beatitudes – our ladder to holiness – Jesus closes his sermon with this admonition:

Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven… For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your Heavenlyt Father is perfect."

We are asked to love our enemies, pray for them – now we have to be perfect at it? This is rocky for sure! But we are asked to desire perfect love, make it our goal! Remember, this perfection is not the world’s definition of being “perfect”! (a great figure, intellect, creative, amazing cooking, productivity…whew!) But…we all know practice makes perfect, so bring on… the struggles???

 Here’s an analogy I like - Think of a Rock Tumbler:

• You put a rough edged rock in the tumbler with sand, with grit, with water, tumbling roughly, scraping against each other, and little by little the rough edges are smoothed out
• The rough edged rock becomes perfectly smooth, perfected in love, little by little, sometimes in gritty situations with gritty people and lots of grace. It takes time and patience and lots of tumbling!
• Who are you in this analogy?
  • The rough edged rock, faults, warts, sins, and all! But – you are worthy inside and have been invited into the rock tumbler, just to be smoothed out a bit.
• What is the Rock Tumbler?
  • Life here on earth, full of grit, an opportunity to grow and perfect your character, your will, your loves.
• What is the Grit?
  • The people and situations that are difficult in your life. As Rosary Mike says: (accept the things we cannot change, do not want, and didn’t ask for or annoying people – change your perspective - these are your opportunities to practice!)
• What is the electricity that moves the tumbler in one direction?
  • The power to move towards perfection and to transform our rough edges is the Holy Spirit. God’s grace and Spirit and sacraments and prayer and strength are the power behind our transformation.
• What is the water?
  • Purity, grace, mercy, the Holy Spirit in you.
• What is your job?
  • Have the desire and the courage to climb in, to engage in the rock tumbler of life with Jesus. Invite Him into your imperfections. Let his power course through your mind, heart, soul, and strength.  Stay plugged into HIS power!

 You get the courage and trust to climb into Jesus’ rock tumbler through grace, daily prayer, the sacraments and meditating on Scripture (where you get to know Christ personally) Once you know Him, it becomes easier to trust Him. Once you trust Him, it becomes easier to surrender and sacrifice your will for His. Engage Life with Jesus by your side! Your will to live life your way is surrendered to Love God’s way. You begin to develop, little by little, God’s way of loving and living. It is a peaceful, trusting, joyful, loving way to live your life!

Romans 5:5 …we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us…

Wisdom 12:1-2 For your immortal [Holy]spirit is in all things. Therefore, you correct little by little those who trespass, and remind and warn them of the things wherein they sin, that they may be freed from wickedness and put their trust in you, O Lord.

Ephesians 5:2 …walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

 Sister Faustina said to Jesus: “…you give us occasions to practice deeds of mercy and instead we use the occasion to pass judgement.”  Diary of Divine Mercy #1269 Pg. 458  Do my encounters with others end in peace, love and grace or dislikes, grumblings, and complaints?

 Ephesians 4:29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:32 …and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Psalms 128:1, 2 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!  You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.

 St. Faustina: The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause me when they do not want to accept them! Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to my merciful heart and I will fill it with peace [and smooth out their rough edges]. Diary of Divine Mercy # 1074 Pg. 404

 Psalms 145:18 The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

 Galatians 5:22-23 …the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… (the results of living life in the Spirit.)

 If you trip over a rock this week, pick yourself up, brush off the dirt and get back on the path to love.  If you hold Jesus’ hand over the rocky bits, you will see the fruits of the Holy Spirit in your life and in your relationships. He will help you get through the tough times, and you will be a little smoother on the other side. Happy tumbling! Be patient with others but mostly be patience with yourself! And remember: