A Personal Relationship with God: To know Him, TO LOVE HIM.

As we continue with the catechism answer "God made me to know Him, to Love Him and to Serve Him in this world....."  We now explore 'To Love Him'.

This is a difficult one.    Despite our best efforts to arouse love for Him we are often left having to keep up appearances with others by saying the right things.   "Yes, we do love God" we say for no other reason that that is the answer expected of us.    But we feel nothing in our hearts and yet God demands us in the First Commandment  "Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul with all your mind and strength"       How can we do it?    In the Old Testament they would bring animals to be slaughtered or purchase animals to be slaughtered in order to show their love and commitment to their God, they would keep the Ten Commandments and Jewish practices to a severe level in order to persuade God of their love.     They would of course give thanks to Him for guarding them from their enemies.   Many of them did of course bring God into their everyday lives.  They saw the blessings of God in the home, in the harvests, and in their every day experiences.   They spoke to God, and we have the wonderful Psalms of David, and so many beautiful texts in the Old Testament from Kings and Prophets.   But it was still difficult.

Then came Jesus.   How wonderful that God became Man.    He showed them how over zealous they had become and that what God really wanted was their hearts and their love.    'The Word became flesh and lived among us and we saw His Glory'   He walked among us as God teaching that what God really wanted was a  love that had no fear but was full of faith and trust.   And he had to teach them how. 'If you love ME keep my commandments"    And he showed them numerous ways of loving their neighbour in stories and parables,   He formed the Church to teach and keep us true to the Commandments and to retell the stories of love and compassion to our neighbour so that today we could live as He waned us to live.     

But it did not stop there  He could not leave us and in every Catholic Church the presence of God made Man lives in our Tabernacles so that He is present in every Catholic Church for us to come and worship and adore.    Who could not love such a God?   And at every Mass which recalls how he died for us  he is the sacrifice we partake of in Holy Communion.    When that host goes into our mouths our bodies should explode, overwhelmed by the Greatest Gift of Love.    It should fill our senses. We should weep with joy.    A Great love beyond our dreams is trying to awaken our cold hearts and set us on fire.

So you see that God has made it so easy to love Him.    Do you find it difficult?  Then ask Mary when you approach the altar to be beside you, and let her introduce you to her Son. 

Jesus and Mary, pray for us.  

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