As a father, I know the deep love that wells up when I look at my sons, especially when I see them going out of their way to do something good. God looked upon Jesus with immense love, and now that we are adopted sons and daughters of God, He looks upon all of us with that same Fatherly love.
God loved us from the very beginning. Though we were merely His creation, He made us in His own image and likeness. Original sin strained that relationship, but through Jesus’ incarnation, death, and resurrection, we became adopted children of God. When we are baptized, we enter into a personal relationship with Christ. Jesus says, “I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.”
Since we are all children of God, we are also brothers and sisters in Christ. We should strive to love one another as Jesus loves us. Too often, our differences damage our relationships. We must not allow race, religion, politics, or any other difference to weaken our love. Even when a brother or sister lives in sin, we should still love them. Hate the sin, but love the person. I may not love everything my children do, but I will always love them. In the same way, God loves us even in our sin and welcomes us back like the father in the story of the prodigal son.
God commands us not only to love Him with all our hearts, but also to honor our mother and father. This commandment applies not only to our earthly parents, but also to our heavenly ones. That is one reason we honor Mary in a special way. Just as a mother cares for her children, Mary watches over us and worries when we stray from the light.
We recently celebrated the feast of the Holy Family. Let us work to create a holy family in our own lives. A holy family respects and loves one another, doesn’t hold grudges, and practices forgiveness. When we listen to our parents and show love to them, and to our brothers and sisters, our Father in heaven will be well pleased with us.
