He Loves Me!

Every year Lent seems to develop a theme for me. A couple of years ago when Mel Gibson’s The Passion was hitting the big screen, the concept of redemptive suffering permeated my Lent. As I review a few of last year’s blog entries, God’s mercy and forgiveness was the common thread of my reflections.

Beginning with Pope Benedict XVI’s Lenten message, this year’s Lent is about God’s love.

With a more fervent participation let us direct our gaze, therefore, in this time of penance and prayer, at Christ crucified who, dying on Calvary, revealed fully for us the love of God

Yesterday’s Mass readings pushed the message a little farther. Because of God’s infinite and unfathomable love, we can let go and trust Him. The first reading from the Book of Sirach exhorts us:

Trust God and God will help you; trust in him and he will direct your way;

In our responsorial psalm (Psalm 37) we heard:

Trust in the Lord and do good, that you may dwell in the land and
be fed in security
Take delight in the Lord, and he will grant your heart’s requests.

As I mentioned before, we have started a 40-day family retreat in preparation for total consecration to Jesus through Mary in union with St. Joseph. Yesterday’s retreat readings included this from the Gospel of St. Matthew 6:31-34:

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.

Do you think God is trying to tell me something? I can be such a worrier. If I am not careful, a whole litany of “What if’s” can crowd my thoughts. But if I really believe John 3:16,

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life,

I can have the confidence that God truly loves me enough to meet my needs. The Incarnation, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ should make it clear that there is no request of mine that is too great for God’s love.

To paraphrase Sally Fields: He loves me. He really, really loves me!