Council 13808
Knights of Columbus
Reflections
You are a Blessing to Me
Have you ever thought that every person you meet each day is a blessing to you and you are a blessing to them. I believe each person carries within them the love of the Lord as long as they are alive in this world. No matter what their relationship is with our Lord and Savior He still has an intense love for each person and the souls that He created.
I believe God loves ALL His children while they are living on this earth no matter what they do. Do we really understand that God is consumed with love for you and me. There is a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone. Think of that statement for a moment. It Is very profound.
There are many types of love: puppy love/teenage love, love in marriage, love of our children, love of a good friend, “love” of a favorite food, drink or sports activity. These types of relationships contain elements of fondness or pleasure. However, only God’s love is, truly unconditional, that is, totally free of any reservations, omissions or intentions. His love is constant, enduring and eternal. It has nothing to do with “likeability.” God may be disappointed in some of our behaviors (our sins) but He never gives up or abandons us regardless
God is our creator and eternal father and what normal father does not love his child no matter what they do. They may not like what the Child has done, but that does not mean they stop loving the child. However, God is not the normal father. He is eternal, and infinite. That means His love for each of us is so deep and so far-reaching it cannot be measured by anything man has or does.
In 1 John 4:8 it is written, “Whoever does not love does know God because God is Love “. The Love of God for and in us could be considered His DNA in us. For us humans a definition of DNA is” the molecule that carries genetic information for the development and functioning of a living organism”. God’s love or DNA keeps us in existence. We carry within ourselves an image and likeness of the Lord which is HIS DNA.
On a more personal basis, anytime we attend Mass or any other situation where we encounter other people is a blessing to us as it is an opportunity to serve others. When we receive Holy Communion at Mass, we have taken God totally and physically inside of our body and so does the person next to us.
The creator of the universe is inside of us. Isn’t that awesome! We are now charged with the energy of the Holy Spirit who wishes us to do good for others, those you encounter in your daily life.
What are we going to do knowing that everyone we meet is a blessing to us? Jesus gave us the answer in John 13:34-35 NIV. He said to His apostles (and to us) “A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples.”
Think of all the people in this world. There are good and bad people and those that are somewhere in between. How can a person who I know is bad be a blessing to me? It is because they carry the love of the Lord or His DNA within them. That is the blessing. If we can do nothing for them but pray, then pray and pray again. When we realize an individual needs prayer and we pray, we are doing what God wants us to do and that is also a blessing to us. While we might abhor the sin, we can love the sinner. Sister Helen Prejean of Baton Rouge, Louisiana has taught us this via her ministry to prisoners on Death Row.
Remember St. Maxamillion Kolbe who must have thought that his captors were not as Christ-like as they should be considering he knew that the only way out of the Nazi concentration camp for him was through death. But he prayed both for his captors (who were guilty of heinous sins), and he prayed as well as his fellow inmates (who were truly in need). God certainly heard and acknowledged the prayers for both groups (no conditions).
When an individual needs some help other than prayer, and we are there helping them we are doing what God wants us to do i.e. showing the love of the Lord for them. This is a chance to serve the Lord, to follow his way, and to glorify him by our Service. What a great blessing we are given!
We must know, understand and remember that this infinite, eternal, Triune God is in-love with you and me: when were first created, even before we left the womb, now and forever, without reservation or condition. What can you and I do to return His love? My answer is in whatever path of life we may choose, because that is what life’s journey is really all about.
Will You Drink the Cup?
In the Gospel of Matthew Ch. 20 verses 20 through 23 it is written : Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons and kneeling before him asked him for something. And he said to her “What do you want?” She said to him “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit one at your right and one at your left in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him. “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my father.”
For most of my life these bible verses meant only a cup of sorrow, agony and pain. Recently after reading some of my favorite authors and spending some time in meditation on these passages I feel that the Lord was talking about the cup as the Cup of Life. I now believe the Lord was not only referring to his approaching agonizing death, but to his marvelous resurrection and glorious ascension.
When we are born we are given a cup of life. But, what is this “cup of life”? I feel it is all the people, events, things, emotions, thoughts, etc. we will ever encounter or experience in our lifetime, both good and bad.
However, when we accepted Christ into our heart, mind and soul and were baptized, I sincerely believe we were offered a new and different Cup of Life by the Lord. And like the apostles we must grab it joyfully, fervently and without reservation.
Why should we happily drink the “Cup of life”? Well, it is how we as Christians approach and handle that “Cup” that makes us different from the people of the world. That cup is us....with all our faults and failings. It is cracked and chipped. At times it does not look very pretty. And it does not hold things securely. Yet it is us.... broken and chipped as we are.....and YES..... it is us loved as we are by the gift of grace given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As you know our cup of life has many sorrows and many joys in it. Possibly your sorrows will be like a bunch of crushed grapes as author Henri Nouwen states. And at times you will be unaware the juice that flowed from those crushed grapes or sorrows and agonies will become the marvelous wine of joy, peace, consolation, happiness and forgiveness that you will share with many, many people.
Will you happily drink the cup? Will you drink the cup of life together with the Lord and me?
Thank you for deciding to drink our cup of life daily with the Lord. Let’s not forget, as we drink daily, to think of the first and eternal cup given to us from the Lord at the Last Supper.
In the Gospel of Luke (NAB 22:19) it is written: Then He took bread and said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them saying “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me”.
In the Gospel of Matthew (NAB 26:27, 28), it is written: Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying: “Drink this all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins”.
What occurred in that quiet, dusty, darkened room was earth shattering. Although humanity was totally unaware of what just happened. But somewhere outside of our known universe, quiet or subdued jubilation was taking place.
The angels and the good people of the Old Testament had just witnessed the institution of the Eucharist which meant the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ would remain on this earth until He returns in glory at the last or final judgement. They also witnessed the means by which this would be accomplished. That is the institution of the Catholic Priesthood. Furthermore, they were totally aware that this was the beginning of the salvation of mankind through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
How oblivious mankind was, even his closest friends, the apostles. There was, however, one person who knew and kept everything in her heart…….His Mother Mary………..and our Mother!
Jesus and His Mother Mary taught us how to drink our cup of life. They taught how to deal with the good times and the bad. They taught to seek God in adoration, thanksgiving, and supplication. They taught us that without God there is nothing. Think about that statement. Without God there is nothing!!!!
When we finally set our cup down, given to us by the Lord in this life, it will be on the Lord’s banquet table and it will be completely empty. We will have consumed all of it to the very end.
Then.....our cup is not broken and is perfect and beautiful to look at. It will glisten as if it had been washed. And we do know that it has been cleaned and cleansed with the blood of the Lamb. We will realize our cup, which is our life, will be filled with the marvelous, eternal wine of the Kingdom of God never, ever to be empty again.
When you gladly drink the cup of life as a Child of God, my friend, your life is pleasing to our God..... Father.........Son...........and Holy Spirit. AMEN
