God Is Love and Love is All You Need

Today’s Gospel clarifies Jesus’ family lineage, all the way from Abraham to David, to the Babylonian exile, to Christ. Interestingly, with fourteen generations between each landmark person or event. In ways, it is hard to relate to all the names in Jesus’ family tree. Yet, this element of the Gospel reassures us that we are part of a family that goes all the way back to the time when God spoke His message very clearly and directly to those whose help He needed. What does God need from me in my time? What does He want to teach me that I can share with others, leading them on the path of knowledge?

Knowledge

With our Alleluia verse, one of the “O Antiphons of Advent” we implore help from the Lord, O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge! It almost makes me laugh to think about how far we have traveled, oftentimes veered away from, the true path of knowledge. For the past ten days, we have been battling the dreaded CoVid19 in our house, and among our closest friends.

Of course, I implored the Lord’s help and guidance at the onset, step one, checked that box. Step two, I asked friends to pray, checked that box. I notified some priest-friends, they are on speed dial to the Lord, with extra powers of Mass intentions and such, so I definitely checked that box! What next?

One has to do something else, something more, to try to discern the right moves, the right treatments, the right medications, right? So off to the internet I went… to seek knowledge (visualize rolling eyes emoji here). All I came back with was more fear. Fear of corruption, fear that we would have to go to the hospital, fear of the mandated treatments, and fear of innovative treatments. Yet, fear is the opposite of love, and this is what the evil one wants, fear. It was definitely a challenge to find God in all this, but when we turn to love and trust in love, it all becomes clear.

Love

So many friends prayed for us, offered rosaries and adoration hours, brought teas, and tinctures, supplements, and even some exorcism-blessed salt for good measure. And in this love is God. In this love is the healing. We both tested negative today, all friends impacted alongside us are on the road to recovery, and our continued prayers will ensure full recovery.

Today it struck me just exactly where God is in this pandemic. He is asking each of us to trust in His wisdom for healing. If we take the path of fear, we assume the fate of the fearful. If we fall on our knees, pray the rosary, implore His Divine intervention, He smiles with love. And lets it all be alright after all. That is the knowledge we need. Know that God is love and cliché as it may sound, love is all you need.

[Readings: Gn 49:2, 8-10; Mt 1:1-17]

Dr. Tina Facca-Miess

Dr. Tina Facca-Miess is a marketing professor in the Boler College of Business at John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio USA. With an extensive background in global industry as well as academics, she is active in the Catholic and Jesuit networks, working to bring online education and livelihood opportunities to the brightest of the poorest at the margins of society.

1 Comments

  1. Rita Simmons on December 17, 2021 at 10:11 am

    Excellent message.

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