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TODAY’S WORD…

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And so, my dear friends,

if our conscience does not condemn us, we have courage in God’s presence.

We receive from Him whatever we ask,

because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him.

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What He commands is that we believe in His Son Jesus Christ

and love one another, just as Christ commanded us.

Those who obey God’s commands live in union with God

and God lives in union with them.

And because of the Spirit that God has given us

we know that God lives in union with us.

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– 1 John 3:21-24 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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God knows everything;

not only does He know our sins and our frailties,

He also knows our repentance and our good desires,

and He understands and forgives us.

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If our conscience tells us we have done wrong,

we can seek forgiveness and strengthen our hope in God;

if our conscience does not accuse us,

our confidence in God is ardent and bold.

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The divine and merciful love of God is mightier than our sins

and when we keep the commandments

– believing in and loving Jesus and loving one another –

we are reassured that we are abiding in God.

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Faith and love cannot therefore be separated

and it was our Lord Himself who told us

that what would mark His followers out

would be their love for one another.

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QUOTES…

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"We cannot rightly love one another unless we believe in Christ;

nor can we truly believe in the name of Jesus Christ without brotherly love."

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– St. Bede

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"When we realise that God’s love for us

does not cease in the face of our sin or recoil before our offenses,

but becomes even more attentive and generous;

when we realise that this love

went so far as to cause the Passion and Death of the Word made flesh

who consented to redeem us at the price of His own blood,

then we exclaim in gratitude:

‘Yes, the Lord is rich in mercy’,

and even: ‘The Lord is mercy.’”

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– Pope St. John Paul II

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, You are love.

Lord, You are mercy.

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