Love as Christ has Loved

Love one another as I have loved you.

So that My Joy may be in you, 

and your Joy may be complete.

We are here as Christians because of the scene in Chapter 10 of the Acts of the Apostles. That took place at Ceasarea Maritima with the Roman Soldier - Cornelius.   The debate among the followers of the way did a gentile have to become a Jew in order to be a  Christian. Peter submits to the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit guides Peter, the first pope; the Holy Spirit guides Pope Benedict - HS Guides the Church – God shows no partiality
No favorites. Jew or Gentile. But that is hard for us to comprehend.
God loves the prostitute on the street corner in Rome as much as the Pope in the Vatican; God loved the Drug dealer – as much as the drug addict; and dare I say God does not love Michael Rafferty any less than God loves Victoria Stafford. God loves the sinner - but not the sin.  Said another way - God hates the Sin - but loves the sinner.
God loves the Rich comfortable home owner, as much as the Unemployed person who is a client at the food bank.

I participated in the Food box Challenge this week – of course I survived: I survived the isolation; the lethargy; I survived the lack of nutrition, lack of choice, and lack of options.
After only 5 days, It ended for me. But it doesn't end for the regular Food Bank user …Challenge you to read: WWW.CCS4U.ORG
So that we will be aware now - so when as a community we can move forward, we as a parish will be ready to help - to serve - to love, as Christ loved.

God loves us perfectly. Because God IS love. We don't love other people because we want to be loved back. We don't serve because we want to be served back. Its not about what we get – it’s about what we give. Christ loved the ones crucifying him, as much as the one at the foot of the cross!

In the rite of Ordination there is a line: "May God who has begun this good work in you - bring it to fulfillment. God began good work in us in baptism. God brings that joy to fulfillment in the Eucharist. At the Table of the Lord we are graced - as friends of the Lord - To Love one another as He has loved us.

Peace