Last Sunday I was able to attend the Family Ministries General Assembly.
It is always refreshing to see all the ministries together and hear the beautiful sharings from each ministry. As usual, the GA started with an opening worship. It was about the third song (if I am not mistaken), when we started singing “Love One Another” and for some reason I started feeling emotional. I became teary-eyed. At one point during the song, the worship leader, Tito Charlie (CFC Montreal Head) said to everyone, “Brothers and sisters, let us love one another. We are one community.” Our Area CC, Tita Eileen, held my hand, then I also held the hand of the sister next to me, Shenna 🙂 As hard as I tried to hold my tears, they just started flowing. I couldn’t understand what I was feeling and why I was crying. I’m sure it wasn’t of sadness but I was uncertain where this gush of emotions was coming from. Then we sang the chorus once again.
I give you a new commandment:
Love one another.
As I have loved you,
you must also love one another.
This is how they will know
that you are my disciples.
If you love one another.
I started tearing even more. I felt repentant of how I have been towards my brothers and sisters and asked myself, “Have I truly loved each and every one of my brothers and sisters?”. “Have I shown love to the person next to me in the bus? How about the other student next to me in class? My coworkers? My family? My friends? Everyone? Do they know that I am His disciple?“ This whole world is our community and we are one.
Then I realized, how much love I truly and undeniably have around me, how much love I have received in my everyday life, how much love I receive everyday and how my much love I know I will continue to receive. I started to feel unworthy but the Lord, at once not even a second, reassured me of my worth of His love. He gave me hope that I am capable of loving with all my heart and that I will be able to do so with great sincerity. After the GA, I heard mass at my parish, St. Kevin’s, it was the Divine Mercy Sunday. During the homily, Fr. Muthu shared to us that in the day’s Gospel, the Lord greeted peace to his disciples three times.
Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Jesus brings us peace, His Divine Peace, each and everyday. He unceasingly brings peace in our hearts only if we are sensitive enough to receive this gift; only if we allow ourselves to receive this peace each and every moment of our lives.
“Love one another as I have loved you” – A truly beautiful commandment that our Lord God has given us. A commandment asking us to be good, to be beautiful, to be loving, simply to be GOOD. But why is it hard? We make it hard. Instead of just letting our hearts be free and do what it is naturally capable of, we take control of it. We are created in the likeness of God, and that includes our hearts, then how can we question its goodness and its ability to truly love.
This week, I have been truly reminded about this commandment. I am not perfect and I know that I might fall but I know that our Lord God will continue to remind me that I am loved and that I will continue to be able to love as long as my heart beats…as long as my heart beats for Him 🙂
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
– Mother Teresa
Mother Mary,
please obtain for me from the heart of Jesus,
the source of every good,
a heart that is able to truly love.
My brothers and sisters, I pray for peace in your hearts as well and that you may continue to experience and feel God’s love in your lives and also to those who are dear to you.
…let us LOVE anyway.
God bless us always.
Peace and Love,
Apple
🙂