Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men
1. Knowing and experiencing the love of Christ is a gift of God. Do you agree that without this gift, loving God and neighbor, as we are called to do, is almost an impossible task? Why or why not?
2. What do you think it means to be “rooted and grounded in love” (Ephesians 3:17)?
3. What do you think it means to “to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19)?
4. How would you define your own knowledge and experience of Christ’s love and how has it impacted how you live out your Christian life?
5. If you are in a men’s group, pray for one another at the end of your meeting to be filled even deeper with “the love of Christ.” Use the prayer at the end of the article as a starting point.
I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
There are two important keys to the spiritual life contained in this beautiful prayer of St. Paul:
(1) the image of being “rooted and grounded in love” (Ephesians 3:17) and
(2) the importance of knowing “the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (3:19). As Christians, love should be the root and foundation of our whole lives — the twofold love of God and love of neighbor, and the “love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
Only by being rooted and grounded in the love of Jesus Christ and letting his love overflow in our lives, and in our love for God and others, will we truly have the strength to know God and continue to grow in the Lord. This love is the foundation to the spiritual life and holiness of all the holy men and women of the church. It should be the foundation of our spiritual life as Catholic men, as well.
How tempting it is to try to grow in our spiritual lives through a well-disciplined regimen based solely on our own efforts and hard work! This can seem to make sense, and we can obtain a certain measure of progress at times through such methods. But these human efforts, based on the “natural person,” can get us only so far. They won’t be able to stand the test of time or support us in the challenges we will face in the world. The only way to spiritual strength and life that lasts is by constantly being open to receive Jesus’ intimate, transforming love.
Even if we have been away from the Lord for some time, or have fallen into the trap of self-sufficiency, all we have to do is ask to know and experience his love. How do we do this? Just take the time to ask Jesus to come into your heart more fully. Ask him to fill you with his love. Repent if you have to, so that you won’t be tripped up by a guilty conscience. And then just turn to him. Trust that he really can do for you everything that he has promised. This is the key to a truly full life filled with his grace and power. This, brothers, is the life that Jesus came to give us — a life of his love living in us, a life of sharing his message of love with others — in fulfillment of the “Great Commandment” to love God and neighbor.
Dear Jesus, thank you for the incredible love that constantly flows from your sacred heart! Come and fill me more and more with this love so that I can be strengthened to do all things in you. Holy Spirit, show me the spiritual wealth I have in Christ! Lead me to the places and people that need his love, so that I can share it!”
Many thanks to The Word Among Usfor allowing me to adapt material from daily meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.
(Maurice Blumberg is Executive Director of the National Fellowship of Catholic Men. This article is part of NFCM's sponsorship of the Catholic Man channel. Contact NFCM at P.O. Box 86381, Gaithersburg, MD 20886 or e-mail them at info@nfcmusa.org. If you would like to make a contribution to the NFCM, just click here.)
