Monday, July 30, 2012

Love Letters


“You are my letter, know and read by all, written on your hearts.” 2 Cor 3:

Most of us have received “living letters” in our lives, not all of them happy or pleasant. When someone approaches us to say that we have not passed our exams or been selected for the college we really wanted, it feels like a personal rejection, and it can be difficult to see past the hurt and upset we feel.

But we have also been recipients of wonderful living "love letters." The man or woman with whom we have developed a relationship tells us that they want to marry us, live with us, build a family with us, or children tell us at Christmas or on our birthday that they are so appreciative of our parenting. This can be especially moving if we married into a family and been recognized as a true mother or father.

St. Paul wants his disciples to be living love letters.  He prays that their lives will be such transparent signs of God’s love in them that the will radiate goodness and Good News. We can do this in our day when we work to promote the Good News of Jesus and not our own self interest. People who are like Bartholomew, the man without guile, do this naturally and powerfully. When others meet Bartholomew and people like him, they know they are hearing God’s message, not Bartholomew’s.

Today, be transparent in your care for others. Think only of their needs.

What practices help you remember you are a disciple of Christ, not the message itself?

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