Accept the Fact that God Loves You!

(The following homily was given by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde at St. Louis Church in Alexandria on March 30 for the Fourth Sunday of Lent.)

Part I of II

After 37 years of priesthood, I am convinced that one of the hardest things for most people to understand and accept is a simple yet profound fact: God loves us. This basic and fundamental fact is the theme of today's Mass. Our three Scripture readings proclaimed in our hearing this morning leave no doubt about this fact.

In our first reading from the Second Book of Chronicles, we observe that God is faithful to His people despite their infidelity to Him. The Chosen People had failed to observe God's commandments, and after repeatedly sending prophets to call them to repentance, God sent them into exile as punishment for their sins. This He does in justice as a loving Father would correct his son or daughter, and as a loving God, He provides for their return to Jerusalem and return to favor with Him once they had repented for disobeying His commands.

In our second reading, St. Paul revealed to us that “even when we were dead in our transgressions, [God] brought us to life with Christ.” God knows that we sin. God knows that we reject His will expressed through the Ten Commandments and the Gospels, which are further made concrete by the official teaching office of the Church. God knows that we have a fallen human nature. Knowing all of this and out of His great love for us, God sent His only-begotten Son to die for us while we were still in sin. St. Paul tells us: “it is the gift of God” to us.

In our Gospel reading this morning from St. John, we are given the “Gospel of Love.” This short passage of Scripture encapsulates the entire Gospel message of Jesus Christ. The message is that, out of love, God gives us His best gift, His own beloved Son Jesus " not to condemn us, but to save us, to give us life. The love of God is given to us freely and is always present in our lives. “It is not from works, so no one may boast,” it is a gift from God.

Yet, how many of us are really convinced that God loves us? That He loves us freely, willingly, faithfully and infinitely? Maybe we are not convinced of God's love for us because we think of God in terms that are too human or too closely related to the way we love others? Maybe we do not forgive very much or very often, and so then our conclusion is that God doesn't either. But we forget: God is not made in our image, we are made in His image! Maybe our view of God was set for us while we were children and we see Him as too rigid or too stern? Maybe we prefer not to understand and accept God's love, because to do so will demand a response from us that we are not ready or willing to give? If we accept His love for us, then we must change our lives and follow His example. If we reject His love for us, then we remain the same and sanctifying grace does not work within us to form us more closely into the image and likeness of God.

Yet, the fact remains: God loves us! It is significant that this message of God's love comes to us midway through the season of Lent. Lent is a time for us to grow in our understanding of the Christian life, and how we are to live that life all year long. We will not experience real growth without admitting and accepting the basic fact that God loves us. Admitting and accepting God's love implies our willingness to change " to repent " and our willingness to live in accord with His love.

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Bp. Paul S. Loverde is the bishop of the Diocese of Arlington in Virginia.

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