We were singing the song We have Been Told the other day in Mass and the words “as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you” jumped out at me. My reflections over the past few days were brought to life in these words.
I had been sitting in front of the tabernacle as I usually do before work each morning and I didn’t have the usual ramblings in my head. I sat there quietly, without a thought or a petition. Usually that is my time to pray for the members of the parish where I work, but that particular morning I just sat there, empty-headed.
Then, it occurred to me how Jesus calls us to rest in him. Sometimes we are so busy doing things for and on behalf of God, that we forget that God doesn’t need us to work like crazy. What he needs is for us to rest in Him, to have a relationship with Him, to know that He loves us and to receive that love.
He gave us His Son, Jesus, because he loves and cares so much for us—not because we are worker bees.
What happens when we rest in him is that we discover His great love and we experience a greater relationship with Him. That is where the song fits in . . .
As the Father loved Jesus, he loves us. Isn’t it clear now, that as Jesus loves us, we love others? That love is to be shared. It’s really that simple. Know the Father. Live in a relationship of love with Him, and then share that love with others.
How we do that will vary, of course, but our work or ministry is nothing if it does not first live in the love of God.
“Live in my love with all your heart” the song says. I have found the best way to do that is to spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, resting quietly, letting the freshness of God’s love fill me abundantly.
A beautiful scripture passage related to this is 1 John 4: 7-21.
(Partial inspiration for this article comes from The Leadership Labyrinth.)
God bless,
Janet
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