Unconditional Love
John: 3: 14-21
St. Benedict Labre, from the 18th century tells us: “To love God you need three hearts in one: A heart of fire for Him, a heart of flesh for your neighbor and a heart of bronze for yourself.”
How has the truth of what we are told in John 3:16 penetrated into the depths of our heart? John 3:16 is probably the most often cited Gospel verse in the entire New Testament. It is said that the entire New Testament can be summarized in this one verse. “God so loved the World that He gave His only Son, so everyone who believes in Him might have eternal life.”
We see this verse sometimes on signs in cities, on street corners and in public gatherings.
In John 3:16, the Word world means all of humanity. The word World is listed 78 times in the Book of John. This word can be a reference for the earth, the universe, large gatherings or in John 3:16 this word references all of us. Thus, God so loved all of humanity that he gave his only son to each of us. The question we thus ask ourselves is, in our Vincentian vocation and our call to Holiness, how has this truth penetrated our hearts? How has the love that we receive from God shaped our own lives and our Vincentian vocation?
St. Vincent reminds us that we are created by our Lord to live and function according to gifts coming from God’s Self. How am I to love in return? What makes sense except to do as God does, to give as God gives? What would be right except to offer all that we are and all that we have for others? We are called to give the love of Christ to each other and in love and service to our neighbors.
Mother Teresa reminds us that we have forgotten that we belong to each other. The God that we have loves each of us without measure and neglect and He shows us His tender love so we can be kind, loving, we can be Christ like to each other and to our neighbors. As we strive to love like God loves, we think about how God has created each of us and He has been present throughout our lives. God is the center of our lives. He is our heart.
Jesus showed His love to the Father as He accepted His Cross. Jesus fulfills His own mission and that of His Father on the Cross: “ For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life.” As we serve and accompany our neighbors in helping them with the “crosses that they carry,” may we serve in the example of our Lord in His Unconditional Love that He shows us. God bless you all in your Vincentian vocation.
