7 November, Thursday — But we are loved so much

Thursday of Week 31 in Ordinary Time

Phi 3:3-8
Lk 15:1-10

“…what woman with ten drachmas would not, if she lost one, light a lamp and sweep out the house and search thoroughly till she found it?”

As I write this reflection, I’m at a place where there is a huge volcano in view. It reminds me of how tiny I am in the order and nature of things. I also toured a garden which was breathtakingly beautiful, and it reminded me of how immensely capable God is in creating beauty. It was truly beyond all my imagination. And I won’t be surprised if there are other beautiful things that I would one day tell myself, ‘I haven’t even seen anything like this before. It’s truly amazing!’

The one who owns all these things I see is the one true God. The almighty Creator. And this God, who owns all these things, who could create something out of nothing, who could easily create an upgraded version of me, is so filled with thoughts of me. Not the upgraded version of me, not the faultless me, but just the me right now. He loves me so much that should I get lost right now, He would frantically search for me, just like how the woman did in today’s Gospel.

This brings us to the question, ‘How much are we worth?’ Surely, in the human sense, each of our lives may not amount to a lot. Sadly, some human lives are referred to as collateral damage in some military operations, in the name of peace. If I try to look with my human eyes and compare myself to God’s creation, I would stop comparing once I see the marvels of nature. So in a way, neither you nor I are really worth much, but we are loved so much. This actually makes me cry for joy knowing how much I pale in comparison to God’s creations.

In the first reading, when St Paul mentioned that he viewed his advantages as disadvantages, I initially thought of the fact that our seeming righteousness may eventually lead us to committing spiritual pride. That may be true, and there may another side to it. What if we end up thinking that God loves us because of the effort we expend in making our relationship with Him work? What if eventually, we start thinking that God loves us only because we are achieving good? May God never allow us to be overcome by such despair.

We have just recently celebrated All Saints’ Day. The saints were able to accept and live the paradox of our faith — that we are not worthy, but we are loved much. They were able to bask in God’s love and maintain a healthy awareness of their worthlessness.

Brothers and sisters, I would like to invite you to really reflect on the words of the centurion when you attend your next Mass, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.’ Remember, God has decided to make us worthy of His love.  

(Today’s OXYGEN by Stephanie Villa)

Prayer: Lord God, please help me be aware of your immense love and my unworthiness. May this thought help me feel more loved.

Thanksgiving: Thank you for your very generous love, my dear Father. Amen.