A matter of love

During the first three weeks of Lent we have considered various aspects of our covenant relationship with God and the privileges and responsibilities that flow from it.

Today we turn our gaze on God's covenant relationship with us, and we are astounded at what we perceive.

Despite our infidelity, God remains faithful to us; despite the steps we take towards our own destruction through sin, God continues to offer us a second chance of life. Such is the depth and breadth and height of God's love for us.

God, however, does not force anything upon us. He leaves us free to choose. We can accept God's loving gestures, or we can refuse them. We see this in today's Gospel message. Before the Israelites could return to the Promised Land, they had to return to God. In today's Gospel account, Nicodemus, who was a follower of Christ in his heart of hearts, was told by Jesus that people can choose to believe or not to believe in him. Today the choice is ours to make.

Very few people explicitly choose to be 'against' God, and we are certainly not among these few.

But can we honestly absolve ourselves of actions which are sometimes not altogether in line with the fundamental option for Christ which we made at our own baptism and which we have renewed from time to time?

Are we not sometimes so entrenched in our own selfish and arrogant attitudes that we become insensitive to God's secret calls inviting us to look around ourselves for a while and become aware of some of the real urgent needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ?

If we are honest, we must admit that this has indeed been the case in our personal lives. Despite this focus on our own sinfulness and the dire consequences that flow from it, the predominant theme for this Sunday is divine mercy. Confident in it, we are able to repent, return to God and start anew. We can create a world based on co-operation rather than competition, on respect rather than discrimination.

"How do I love Thee? Let me count the ways/I love Thee to the depth and breadth and height/my soul can reach when feeling out of sight/for the ends of being and ideal grace".

These tender words of the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning reflect a bit of the all-encompassing character of human love. But human love is only a reflection of divine love and participates in it. For this reason, these words could well be placed in the mouth of God this Sunday, for all three readings today illustrate God's merciful love.

The late Cardinal Suenens, one of the leading figures during Vatican II, has put it this way: "Christ cannot live a hidden life today in this world without our mouth, without our eyes, without our goings and comings, without our heart. When we love, it is Christ loving through us!"

What an encouragement for us, especially when we feel depressed, when we are lukewarm in our prayer life, or even when we feel ashamed before our own weaknesses and selfish attitudes!

We must certainly be aware of our own limitations and of our lack of love for God and neighbour, but we must pray that we may also become aware of God's love for us and of his limitless mercy.

Out there in the world there exists an unending tug-of-war between good and evil, between love and hatred. All is asked of us is to join in with the pull of love and tilt the balance.