“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him” (John 14:23).

St the beginning of the Book of Tobit, both Tobit and Sarah are at such a point of despair that they seek death. Instead of following through on that option, they implore to God to take their lives. God hears their prayers, does not answer them in they way they are seeking though. He helps them through their trials to experience the joy of a life of meaning and fulfillment.

As St. Irenaeus taught, the joy of God is the human being fully alive. God seeks our fulfillment, he loves us, and wants the best for us. He does not want us to merely exist, go through the motions until we die, but to live a life of freedom, wholeness, and joy. This is why he sent his Son.

More from St. Irenaeus – Jesus became one with us in our humanity so that we can become one with him in his divinity. In so doing, he opened up heaven for us in the humanity that he assumed. – Jesus has come to restore our relationship with God the Father and in this way we can experience the love shared between them the Holy Spirit. This is a reality and truth for all of humanity. The God of all creation loves each and every one of us intimately and personally because he created all of us unique while at the same time interconnected. 

So when the Son became human, his divinity entered into our humanity. We can choose to accept this divine gift or reject it, but God has created us as a living, craving, hunger and desire to be one with him and each other (Thomas Aquinas). Our deepest hunger is to be one with God and each other, to love God and one another. We desire to belong, to be accepted, to be loved. Nothing or no one will fulfill this deepest hunger in the depths of our being other than developing a relationship with God through his Son Jesus such that we may experience the love of the Holy Spirit. 

As our relationship with Jesus grows, we begin to recognize his voice. As we make time to listen to him in the silence of our hearts (St. Mother Teresa), begin to trust, and act upon his guidance, our relationship with him continues to grow and our life begins to change as we become more and more conformed and transformed by his love. Every, “Yes,” to Jesus is a willingness to say yes to receiving his love. As our relationship with Jesus grows, so we begin to heal and our human relationships heal, improve, and become healthier and transformed as well. This happens when we no longer look to others first to fill that yearning, and instead put first in our lives the one who can fill our deepest longings and desires. 

God has you carved each and every one of us in the palm of his hand, he holds us close  – for each of us are his beloved daughters and sons in which he takes great delight. He will continue to accompany, care for, and provide for us no matter what. He has been with us through every moment of our lives. Jesus invites us to turn to him with our whole heart, mind, and soul today and often throughout our day and days. Trust in him because he is already there just waiting for each one of us to ask for his help. 

The biggest challenge is patience. God works on his time table and not our own. This is actually a gift though, because in our willingness to be patient, we grow in our trust and faith, as well as our our confidence in him and ourselves. Even when we lose our patience and take things into our own hands, he loves us more than we can ever mess up, and welcomes us back again and again. 

No matter what we might be dealing with today, we will get through moment by moment no matter what. If any anxiety or nerves begin to rumble, something unexpected arises, breathe slowly and speak Jesus’ name. As you continue to do so, you will feel a peace that surpasses all understanding begin to quiet your mind and the joy and love of God will rise in your soul.

Photo: Spending some time in adoration last Friday, St. Peter Catholic Church, Jupiter, FL.

Mass readings for Friday, June 9, 2023