Mike Hayes over at Googling God offers some great food for thought this Thursday morning -- a book review and thoughtful reflection on love and Love all rolled into one. It's the kind of post that not only makes you want to buy the book -- Already There: Letting God Find You by Jesuit Father Mark Mossa -- but also makes you think back on your past and probably even on your right-this-minute. Why do we so often push love away? Why don't we think we deserve to be loved, by God or anyone else?
From Mike's post:
Read Mike's full post HERE. Read Michelle's full post HERE. And then tell us: Have you been found by Love? How do you live out your vows, whatever they may be, in God's sight day after day, year after year?
Have you ever found a person who just takes your breath away? Dennis Miller, the brilliant comic, said of the first time he saw his wife, “I’ll pass out if that woman comes anywhere near me.” Apparently, he conquered that fear. But often it’s not fear of approaching love, but fear of not being good enough to deserve the love of someone else. Perhaps even when love is found, fear keeps the revelation of self that we all have to offer back to our love from really happening. What if she doesn’t love that part of me? What if she doesn’t agree with my opinion? We act like addicts afraid of being unable to get our next fix. What if the love runs out?UPDATED: Moments after posting this, I found yet another reflection posted by a Catholic writer on love and the size of our hearts. Over at Quantum Theology, Michelle Francl writes:
...Being found by God is all about us becoming comfortable being seen exactly as we are – with no pretentions, no games, no deals. We come before God as sinners, broken people and yet, we are still more than enough for God, who is perfect love.
Do we dare to let God find us? Or do we hide in the bushes, too afraid to come out and be seen?
What ultimately brings us all to the place of our own vows? What calls forth this deep response in the men of the Society of Jesus, in Madeleine Delbrêl and her companions, in Victor and me? Love. We are all drawn by love, and lavished with God’s grace. We are all called to open our hearts wide enough to receive God freely and completely and give God, freely and completely. With brooms or pens, as priests or sisters or married couples.
How big is my heart? I suspect Madeleine Delbrêl is right, God has fashioned it large enough to hold the universe. If only I would, as St. Ignatius advises, “abandon myself into His hands and let me be formed by His grace.” Totus tuus ego sum.
Read Mike's full post HERE. Read Michelle's full post HERE. And then tell us: Have you been found by Love? How do you live out your vows, whatever they may be, in God's sight day after day, year after year?
