Give me Love for You alone
On the New Year of the Lord, the Word of God expresses solemn wishes from the Book of Numbers: " May the Lord bless you and keep you". This wish contains the message of the Eternal Word that has been given to every human being: "…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" ... that is, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, Emmanuel - God with us.
In the Old Testament, the priests prayed over the chosen people: "May the Lord let his face shine upon you." And the Lord beamed, because in darkness after the sin of Adam and Eve, when the fullness of time came, the true Light shone, promised and awaited with great longing in every human generation.
Hierarchy of Values
Pablo Neruda (1904–1971), a Chilean poet and Nobel laureate, wrote a poem years ago that today is a very accurate indication: “He who does not travel, who does not read, who does not listen to music, who does not find grace in himself, dies slowly. He who slowly destroys his own self-esteem, who does not allow himself to be helped, who spends days on unending complaining about his own bad luck, about the rain that never stops, dies slowly. He or she who abandon a project before starting it, who fail to ask questions on subjects he doesn’t know, he or she who don’t reply when they are asked something they do know, die slowly. Let’s try and avoid death in small doses, always reminding oneself that being alive requires an effort by far greater than the simple fact of breathing. Only a burning patience will lead to the attainment of a splendid happiness.”
This means nothing less or more than setting your hierarchy of values. At the birth of Jesus, angels sang: " Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace for those he favors" (cf. Lk 2:14). In this one sentence there is an indication of how to arrange this hierarchy, and how to follow Mary, the Mother of God.
First, at the foot of the Child, the words: "Glory to God in the highest ..." It is a call to put God at the center of your own life. If the Creator is in its most important place in human life, life becomes fuller, creative, and permeated with God's Spirit. Throughout her life, but in a special way during the Annunciation, Mary made a specific enthronement of God in her own heart. Our Lady's consent to God's difficult will shows her whole "philosophy of life": God is the most important, and here I am, the handmaid of the Lord.
So, what exactly does it mean to establish a hierarchy of values that is based on God? When we look at the attitude of Mary, we notice, above all, absolute obedience, and as Hegel used to say: "obedience is the beginning of all wisdom". It is therefore about making choices in accordance with God's instructions, because the wisdom of life forces a person to follow the evangelical commands in their lives. As we know, Mary obeyed them up to the cross.
God in the first place is also full trust in Him who called us. The Mother of God, although it was difficult for her to come to terms with the Annunciation, she trusted completely in God's love. In the final settlement it turned out that she was not disappointed.
On the threshold of the new year, such trust is badly needed, because no one knows what awaits us. Therefore, it is worth keeping all things and pondering in our heart (cf. Lk 2:19), while entrusting everything to a merciful God.
The angels, glorifying God at the manger, also said: "and on earth peace to men of good will" (cf. Lk 2:14). Apart from placing God at the center of human life, the other person is also important. In this evangelical building of a proper hierarchy of values, there must be room for a service that brings peace. It is a reality that can only be introduced when a person is focused on the good of the people he meets. Throughout her life, Mary showed others that God in the center of human life "compels" to be "for". All her life choices were aimed at helping people. She was sensitive to the needs of others.
The beginning of the new year is a time forplanning and prioritizing. The family was very important for Mary. Each of us should focus on our home and plan specific actions and attitudes that will benefit all household members. What does this mean in practice?
The first thing to consider is your personal ability to bring peace, warmth and hope into your home. Our Lady created such an atmosphere throughout her life. As the Mother of God-Man, she was open to the needs of not only her own family, but all those in need. She drew strength and inspiration for such an attitude from her unlimited dedication to God. Keeping all things in her heart and pondering them, she wanted only one thing - the glory of God, which is shared by all people of good will. Everyone to whom Mary is close should reread today's Gospel in the context of witness and service.
In 1983, John Paul II said: Let our path be common. Let our prayer be humble. Let our love be powerful. Let our hope be greater than anything that may oppose this hope.
On the threshold of the new year, together with Mary, we want to create a program of our own development for the coming months. It is supposed to be a time to strengthen the evangelical hierarchy of values in which God and man are the two basic foundations. We need a lot of hope and strength on this path.
Therefore, precisely today, let us offer ourselves, repeating the words of St. Ignatius of Loyola: Receive, O Lord, all my liberty. Take my memory, understanding, and entire will. Whatever I have or possess you have given me; I restore it all to you and surrender it wholly to be governed by your will. Give me love for you alone along with your grace, and I am rich enough, and ask for nothing more.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george