Mature Love

Mature Love

Well, it has been a long term and now the Easter holidays with the children begins.  Given the public holidays, this means, for many, plenty of time together as a family.  This can be a time of real joy and contentment.  It can also be a time of challenge and difficulty.  Our greatest joys are in relationship with people…our greatest challenges are living with other people.   And don’t children just know how to push our buttons at times.  We can react badly to their behaviour and then feel like we have been children ourselves or we can respond and model to them the way we would like them to grow.

Through the Gospels we see Jesus respond to a number of difficult people.  Especially in the story of his Passion and Death, we see him treat people with respect, even when they are plotting to kill him, even when they are attacking him and spreading lies.  This doesn’t mean he ‘just takes it’ – he is not a wimp.  He never puts himself down and is not afraid of straight-talking. While treating people with respect, he is in control of himself and he serves with love, even when rejected.  At heart, he can do this because he knows he is loved by God his Father – that is the ground on which he walks.  We, too, can draw our strength from that love.  Over these holidays, when things get a little challenging, take a few moments and acknowledge to yourself that God loves you and ask for wisdom and grace in that situation.    

Loving Father, as we have time together with our families over these holidays send us you Spirit of love and peace.  May we find joy in each other and love as Jesus’ loved us.  We ask this in his name confident that you will hear us.

Sr Kym Harris osb