You’ve heard it said that the best things in life are free…and that is the message of today’s readings! In the first reading, Isaiah tells the Israelites “Heed me, and you shall eat well; you shall delight in rich fare.” The psalm reiterates this principle…” The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all His works.” St. Paul tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and in the Gospel passage we hear of Jesus, despite mourning the death of His cousin, caring for the people who came to Him both spiritually and physically.
God loves us more than we can ever imagine; He gave us life, and every good thing in our lives is a gift freely given. We need do nothing, and in fact can do nothing, to earn God’s love. God loves us even when we turn away from Him. When a child disobeys a parent, the parent doesn’t stop loving the child…and so it is with us and God. God loves us so much that He gave us free will; we can choose to turn away from God, just as the Israelites did time and time again…thus the admonition to “Heed me” in Isaiah’s message. Our sins, no matter what they are, cannot separate us from God’s love, and He will continue to lavish us with good things so long as we continue to turn to Him, ask forgiveness, and do our best to live according to His teachings. But He will respect our choice should we turn away; He will not force us to return His love. It is truly our choice, one that we need to take seriously.
Reflection by Parishioner John Ceglarek