Thursday, October 20, 2016

know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge

John, Chapter 21, Verse 15-17
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”* He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” [Jesus] said to him, “Feed my sheep.

Feed my lambs:

For the first several weeks of life, all a lamb needs for nourishment is its mother's milk. Lambs will start to nibble on solid food soon after birth. A ewe's milk production peaks between 3 and 4 weeks of lactation. By the time lambs are 4 to 6 weeks old, they may be obtaining as much as 50 percent of their nutrient intake from sources other than their mother's milk.[1]

With the secular world feeding our children it is no wonder many are confused and have no idea who Christ is. As Christ advised Peter first feed the lambs. Our lambs are those who for the first time really get who Christ is; no matter what their age is and of course the children of those who do get who Christ is. The milk of course is the milk of human kindness and the milk of our mother church and of course the very mother of Christ, Mary most holy. Fathers and working mothers ignore earthly wealth your primary mission is your children in the Lord. True joy is in doing the will of God.

 Amoris Lætitia[2] Growing in conjugal love, marrying for love

Love finds expression in marriage. Their union of love truly will endure and grow. Love is much more than an outward consent or a con­tract by choosing to give marriage you are a visible sign to society how important commitments are. It manifests the seriousness of each person’s identification with the other and their firm decision to leave adolescent individualism behind and to belong to one another. Marriage is a means of expressing that we have truly left the security of the home in which we grew up in order to build other strong ties and to take on a new responsibility for another person. This is much more meaningful than a mere spontaneous association for mutual gratification. (No friends with benefits) As a social institution, marriage protects and shapes a shared commitment to deeper growth in love and commitment to one another, for the good of society as a whole. That is why marriage is more than a fleeting fashion; it is of enduring importance. Its essence derives from our human nature and social character. It involves a series of obligations born of love itself, a love so seri­ous and generous that it is ready to face any risk. To opt for marriage in this way express­es a genuine and firm decision to join paths, come what may. Given its seriousness, this pub­lic commitment of love cannot be the fruit of a hasty decision, but neither can it be postponed indefinitely. Committing oneself exclusively and definitively to another person always involves a risk and a bold gamble. Unwillingness to make such a commitment is selfish, calculating and petty. It fails to recognize the rights of another person and to present him or her to society as someone worthy of unconditional love. If two persons are truly in love, they naturally show this to others. When love is expressed before oth­ers in the marriage contract, with all its public commitments, it clearly indicates and protects the “yes” which those persons speak freely and unreservedly to each other. This “yes” tells them that they can always trust one another, and that they will never be abandoned when difficulties arise or new attractions or selfish interests pres­ent themselves.



[2] Pope Francis, Encyclical on Love.

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