If we keep on loving our neighbor, the little seed of love in the heart of our neighbor can bear much fruit. With patience, kindness and understanding, we can come to witness the transformative power of the love of God. As Jesus comes to us and abides in us,* the love of God can come to transform our neighbor before our very eyes. Thus in time, our faith can be strengthened, and we can come to trust in God ever more deeply. As we trust in God and open our hearts to Him, we consent to Him loving our neighbor through us.
I have been reminded today of these truths. Today a particular young man who has been homeless showed up here at the Catholic Worker House. He asked me to tell my fellow Catholic Worker Susan that he is grateful for all of the help she has given to him over the last several months.
I've previously mentioned this particular fellow. Once again I'll call him "Brendon."
In a prior post I'd written of how Brendon admitted that he needed to stop taking drugs. In another blog entry, I'd related how Brendon had been trying to enter a drug treatment program. Today he told me that he has been in a drug rehab program. I saw the obvious results of how he has been taking care of himself and loving himself: he seemed full of life, vibrant, eager, attentive, considerate, respectful and grateful. He seemed focused on those around him who were listening to him and offering to help him.
Brendon explained that in about a week, he will be moving back east. He quickly added that to reach his destination, he needed a bus ticket which would cost between one hundred and two hundred dollars. As he was talking about the cost of the bus ticket, someone on the front porch of the Catholic Worker House heard him and offered to help to defray the cost of his trip. The impoverished young man had appealed for help, and he got it.
Jesus tells us that whatever we do to the least of those among us, we do to Him.** Jesus is in the homeless people and the other poor men and women who plead with us for help. Who am I, that my Lord and my God comes to my doorstep?*** Jesus comes to us in those who are impoverished, who come to our door, then go away, not to be seen for weeks, and then come back. Jesus goes away, and a short while later, He returns to us.**** Jesus shows me that He is with us always.***** Jesus shows me that He calls us to take care of each other, especially the poor, for Jesus is in our neighbor, and especially in the impoverished.
In coming to me in the poor young man who knocks at my door, Jesus nurtures my faith, for He keeps His promise and He comes to me. Jesus comes to make sure I am practicing the law of love. Jesus comes up to me to make sure I am loving Him in my neighbor.
Seeing Jesus come to us, then we can pray confidently to Him. We can be sure of the hope we have in His promise, for we have seen that He has not left us alone; He has come to us.****** Knowing that we have not been abandoned, seeing the proof of His transformative power that has been demonstrated in our neighbor being healed, we come to trust in God.
When we truly have faith in God, then we come to see that God is always calling us back home to Him. If we utterly trust in God, we realize that God is always welcoming us back home to Him with open arms. Grasping that God is always offering us His warm loving embrace in all that happens to us, we welcome Him into our hearts. Empowered with the love of God, God transforms us, and we are healed, and we become who God has always intended us to be. Loving ourselves, loving our neighbor, and loving God, we become the love of God in the world. Amen.
* John 15:7, 9
** Matthew 25:40
*** Luke 1:43
**** John 16:16-17, 19
***** Matthew 28:20
****** John 14:18
I have been reminded today of these truths. Today a particular young man who has been homeless showed up here at the Catholic Worker House. He asked me to tell my fellow Catholic Worker Susan that he is grateful for all of the help she has given to him over the last several months.
I've previously mentioned this particular fellow. Once again I'll call him "Brendon."
In a prior post I'd written of how Brendon admitted that he needed to stop taking drugs. In another blog entry, I'd related how Brendon had been trying to enter a drug treatment program. Today he told me that he has been in a drug rehab program. I saw the obvious results of how he has been taking care of himself and loving himself: he seemed full of life, vibrant, eager, attentive, considerate, respectful and grateful. He seemed focused on those around him who were listening to him and offering to help him.
Brendon explained that in about a week, he will be moving back east. He quickly added that to reach his destination, he needed a bus ticket which would cost between one hundred and two hundred dollars. As he was talking about the cost of the bus ticket, someone on the front porch of the Catholic Worker House heard him and offered to help to defray the cost of his trip. The impoverished young man had appealed for help, and he got it.
Jesus tells us that whatever we do to the least of those among us, we do to Him.** Jesus is in the homeless people and the other poor men and women who plead with us for help. Who am I, that my Lord and my God comes to my doorstep?*** Jesus comes to us in those who are impoverished, who come to our door, then go away, not to be seen for weeks, and then come back. Jesus goes away, and a short while later, He returns to us.**** Jesus shows me that He is with us always.***** Jesus shows me that He calls us to take care of each other, especially the poor, for Jesus is in our neighbor, and especially in the impoverished.
In coming to me in the poor young man who knocks at my door, Jesus nurtures my faith, for He keeps His promise and He comes to me. Jesus comes to make sure I am practicing the law of love. Jesus comes up to me to make sure I am loving Him in my neighbor.
Seeing Jesus come to us, then we can pray confidently to Him. We can be sure of the hope we have in His promise, for we have seen that He has not left us alone; He has come to us.****** Knowing that we have not been abandoned, seeing the proof of His transformative power that has been demonstrated in our neighbor being healed, we come to trust in God.
When we truly have faith in God, then we come to see that God is always calling us back home to Him. If we utterly trust in God, we realize that God is always welcoming us back home to Him with open arms. Grasping that God is always offering us His warm loving embrace in all that happens to us, we welcome Him into our hearts. Empowered with the love of God, God transforms us, and we are healed, and we become who God has always intended us to be. Loving ourselves, loving our neighbor, and loving God, we become the love of God in the world. Amen.
* John 15:7, 9
** Matthew 25:40
*** Luke 1:43
**** John 16:16-17, 19
***** Matthew 28:20
****** John 14:18
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