Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Love with God’s Love

How to live and love differently than the world! That might be the combined theme from our readings this weekend. Be holy as God is holy; be perfect, as your Father is perfect. We are called to love not only as God loves; we are called to love with God’s love.

As Paul says, we are holy because the Spirit of God already dwells within us. It is the Spirit, the love of God dwelling within us that enables us to follow the call of Jesus.

An invitation for all of us: Spend some time in silence reflecting on the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. Pray for the love and strength of the Spirit to flow through you. Use the words of a familiar traditional song to help:

            Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.

And I always add, “And don’t let me get in the way!”

What is the Holy Spirit calling you to be and to do?

As we prepare for Lent, the reframing of the Prayer of St. Francis by Pope Francis might help us to practice living and loving differently from the world.

LORD, MAKE US INSTRUMENTS OF YOUR PEACE

Help us to recognize the evil latent in a communication that does not build communion.

Help us to remove the venom from our judgments.

Help us to speak about others as our brothers and sisters.

You are faithful and trustworthy

May our words be seeds of goodness for the world

Where there is shouting, let us practice listening

Where there is confusion, let us inspire harmony

Where there is ambiguity, let us bring clarity

Where there is exclusion, let us offer solidarity

Where there is sensationalism, let us use sobriety

Where there is superficiality, let us raise real questions

Where there is prejudice, let us awaken trust

Where there is hostility, let us bring respect

Where there is falsehood, let us bring truth. Amen.

             Pope Francis, World Communications Day 24 January 2018