people with whom you don’t want to breathe the same air? On my list are the
ferocious abortion advocates that drip hatred at the prolife movement. They
tempt me to wish for a loophole on the Christian obligation to love everyone. “This is my commandment, that
you love one another, as I love you” (John 15:12). But how can we possess that kind of love?
Jesus loved us enough to die for us, but how did he
muster up love for those soldiers that nailed him to a cross and spit on him? Fr. John Riccardo, pastor of Our Lady of
Good Counsel in Plymouth, Michigan, whose radio program Christ is the Answer focuses on Catholic
teachings, addressed this quandary in a homily last year. The
challenge, according to him, is to show love even for those we don’t like lest we
fail to even know God. “Whoever does not love does not
know God, because God is love,” 1 John 4:8.
muster up love for those soldiers that nailed him to a cross and spit on him? Fr. John Riccardo, pastor of Our Lady of
Good Counsel in Plymouth, Michigan, whose radio program Christ is the Answer focuses on Catholic
teachings, addressed this quandary in a homily last year. The
challenge, according to him, is to show love even for those we don’t like lest we
fail to even know God. “Whoever does not love does not
know God, because God is love,” 1 John 4:8.
The way to love others like Jesus did, according to
Fr. John, is through Holy Communion. “Our heart must be crushed and replaced
with his heart,” he said. “It is through receiving the precious blood of
Jesus. It’s as if God wants to give us a
transfusion. He is putting his blood into our heart so it will look like his,
because that is what he expects of us.”
Fr. John, is through Holy Communion. “Our heart must be crushed and replaced
with his heart,” he said. “It is through receiving the precious blood of
Jesus. It’s as if God wants to give us a
transfusion. He is putting his blood into our heart so it will look like his,
because that is what he expects of us.”
Until that happens, Fr. John said, we will never have
real joy because real joy comes from being overwhelmed by the love that God has
for us, and in turn, overwhelming others with the love that we have received.
real joy because real joy comes from being overwhelmed by the love that God has
for us, and in turn, overwhelming others with the love that we have received.
Suggestions to Love Difficult People.
Fr. John offered three suggestions to help us to love
when it does not come easy.
when it does not come easy.
1) Keep your
Eyes on the Crucifix. Going forward for Communion, keep your eyes on the
crucifix. “The heart that moved him to do that is at our disposal. It is being
given to us so that we in turn will show it to others especially those we find
difficult to love.”
Eyes on the Crucifix. Going forward for Communion, keep your eyes on the
crucifix. “The heart that moved him to do that is at our disposal. It is being
given to us so that we in turn will show it to others especially those we find
difficult to love.”
2) Place Them
on the Altar. There is no prayer greater than the Mass because it is the
representation–sacramentally speaking– of the gift of self, which Jesus made
upon the cross. “If we will join our prayers to his, especially for those
we find hard to love, then we look a lot like Jesus.”
on the Altar. There is no prayer greater than the Mass because it is the
representation–sacramentally speaking– of the gift of self, which Jesus made
upon the cross. “If we will join our prayers to his, especially for those
we find hard to love, then we look a lot like Jesus.”
3) Ask Jesus to
Transform Your Heart. At the end of our lives, we will all be asked: “Did
you let me transform your heart and make it more like mine so that you would
bring my love into the world which is longing for it?”
Transform Your Heart. At the end of our lives, we will all be asked: “Did
you let me transform your heart and make it more like mine so that you would
bring my love into the world which is longing for it?”
A Lenten
Challenge to Love Abortionists
Challenge to Love Abortionists
Lent is an especially good time to transform our hearts, unite our
sacrifices to the cross and love others.
Last week, I received a Lenten appeal
from
sacrifices to the cross and love others.
Last week, I received a Lenten appeal
from
Eric J. Scheidler, the Executive Director of the Pro-Life Action League topray and fast for three key figures at the heart of the Planned Parenthood baby
parts scandal. “I would hope it will
truly make a difference in the lives of Deborah Nucatola, Mary Gatter and
Cecile Richards — three women whose involvement with abortion, especially the
harvesting and selling of aborted babies’ body parts, reveals a profound need
for repentance and mercy,” he said in an email interview.
We are also being asked to fast—a greater challenge– for people that kill babies.
“I know personally how spiritually powerful fasting is,” Scheidler explained. “Allowing our bodies to feel the discomfort of
hunger, and coming through it to realize that “man does not live by bread
alone,” puts us in touch with the deepest truths about our spiritual
nature.”
“I know personally how spiritually powerful fasting is,” Scheidler explained. “Allowing our bodies to feel the discomfort of
hunger, and coming through it to realize that “man does not live by bread
alone,” puts us in touch with the deepest truths about our spiritual
nature.”
According to him, in a sense, we pray and fast not only for them, but also
for ourselves – “to transform our own hearts, and teach ourselves to love these
women as God loves them.”
for ourselves – “to transform our own hearts, and teach ourselves to love these
women as God loves them.”
By praying and fasting, Scheidler pointed out that it helps bring greater
awareness that our battle is not against them as persons but between all God’s
children and the powers of darkness. “If our hearts are not broken for
those who have dedicated themselves to the destruction of human life — a great
tragedy — then we are not seeing things as God sees them,” he said. “Accepting hunger for someone else’s sake, in
a sense, forces you to care about them. It becomes a kind of physical
reinforcement of your soul’s best intentions in praying for them.”
awareness that our battle is not against them as persons but between all God’s
children and the powers of darkness. “If our hearts are not broken for
those who have dedicated themselves to the destruction of human life — a great
tragedy — then we are not seeing things as God sees them,” he said. “Accepting hunger for someone else’s sake, in
a sense, forces you to care about them. It becomes a kind of physical
reinforcement of your soul’s best intentions in praying for them.”
Friday Challenge
As much as abortion activists make me uncomfortable, I am committed to
praying for their salvation. They have souls that need saving and also have an
enormous potential to greatly influence others against abortion if they
convert.
praying for their salvation. They have souls that need saving and also have an
enormous potential to greatly influence others against abortion if they
convert.
Coincidentally, in union with Pope Francis’s
Year of Mercy, I had already committed to praying a decade of the rosary and
fasting on bread and water at lunch every Friday, as part of the #LentenMercyChallenge. So, for
the remainder of the Fridays in Lent, I will pray and fast at lunch for those
three women.
Year of Mercy, I had already committed to praying a decade of the rosary and
fasting on bread and water at lunch every Friday, as part of the #LentenMercyChallenge. So, for
the remainder of the Fridays in Lent, I will pray and fast at lunch for those
three women.
Jesus can transform our hearts if we let him, and with
hearts like his, we cannot fail to make a difference through our prayers and
fasting. I hope you will join me.
hearts like his, we cannot fail to make a difference through our prayers and
fasting. I hope you will join me.
~~~~~
