God is in love
Has it ever occurred to you that God is just in love with you? That looking at you, He feels constantly delighted? That He misses you, how lovers miss each other? In Scripture, God speaks of his longing many times. He introduces himself as the Bridegroom. The King, reaching out to meet the Bride, is delighted with her beauty. Interestingly, the theme of God's spousal love for man is found more often in the Old Testament. The New Testament brings us the image of a loving Father. It is like continuing this love, translating it into concrete fruit.
God's Word is filled with God's assurances of His love for man. God is madly in love. Capable of anything to gain reciprocity in love. The book of Hosea is a beautiful story about God's incomprehensible love for man. Its symbol is the prophet's love for a woman - a harlot named Gomer. Hosea marries her, and then, over and over again, forgives her constant infidelity. With each subsequent betrayal, his wounded heart loves her more.
God reveals himself to man in this story; he reveals to us his weakness for us, his longing and his love that delights and shocks. He refuses to let us go; he is ready to marry us again when we break the covenant. “Again the LORD said to me: Go, love a woman who is loved by her spouse but commits adultery; Just as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods".(cf. Hos 3:1) God will pursue His Bride with His love, even if He is to " lead her into the wilderness and speak persuasively to her" (Hos 2:14) until she understands that only in Him, her life will be fulfilled.
"Give me a drink," Jesus timidly asks the Samaritan woman, and then enters into a dialogue with her, a relationship that brings liberation. God, who is in love, joins a tired, disappointed woman by the well, women who has not found happiness and freedom in what the "liberated" world offered her. Only in a relationship with God, who is in love, man is truly free. " Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst, - says Jesus." Give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty " - exclaims the one who in the arms of six more men could not find satisfaction. "I am" replies Jesus. (cf. Jn 4:4-42). And that is enough.
"God, who is in love with man, gave us all the feelings we know in love for other man: "Longing, abandonment, despair, loneliness, joy of presence" - wrote
Fr. Jan Twardowski.
"See, I am creating new heavens and a new earth; The former things shall not be remembered nor come to mind. Instead, shout for joy and be glad forever in what I am creating. Indeed, I am creating Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight” (cf. Is 65:17-18) " On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.” (cf. Is 25:6). Doesn't that sound like an announcement of a wedding feast?
"Have you ever thought:" God dreams of me? - Pope Francis asks in one of his homilies. - God thinks about me! I am in the mind and heart of the Lord, and He is able to change my life! ". He makes many projects: "We will build houses, plant vineyards, we will eat together ...". Only those who are in love can dream such dreams. And the Lord makes himself known as someone in love with his people. "
Our hearts, torn by doubts, are closed to accept the truth that God loves us so much. "God is talking to you today," the Pope continues. "But I did not choose you because you are the strongest, most numerous, most powerful. I chose you because you are the smallest of all. You can even say: the most wretched of all. I chose you like that. It's called love."
Discovering the truth that Almighty God is in love with me, transforms my life, heals the image I bear. Especially the bad one, the crooked one, the fake. Because if God himself is delighted with me ...
Until Tomorrow
fr. george