You Are a Gift
The underlying desire that drives all human beings is a sense of belonging and feeling wanted. Quite frankly, it is increasingly becoming more common in the modern world that we reject the dignity and uniqueness of every human person. Even those who may come from loving homes will grow up and go out into the world on their own and find that most people simply do not care about them. If we do not have a tremendously strong foundation of faith, this could do immense harm to our emotional and mental health. The world also seems to be growing more lonely. Loneliness is not defined by a person who spends time on their own, but by the inability to have people around them who they can find comfort and who can make them feel welcome.
Faith certainly eases some of the pain that comes from not feeling wanted by the rest of the world, but it is only natural that we might question whether or not our faith is simply a coping mechanism for the darkness and loneliness that is so prevalent around us. This is a common objection used by those who may not believe in God, that our faith is simply something we invent in our minds to bring us comfort. As followers of Christ, we know full well that a life dedicated to God in its entirely is the opposite of a life of comfort; in fact, if we are faithful to God, follow the message of Christ, and ardently obey his Church, we are placing a tremendous amount of responsibility and hard work on ourselves. But the beautiful thing about responsibility and hard work is that it gives us purpose and meaning. We always have the promise of Christ’s presence in our lives, which allows us to not only work through periods of darkness and loneliness that may arise, but to embrace them as Christ embraced his own period of darkness and loneliness before his death. Darkness and loneliness are elements of a fallen world, and as long as sin exists, we will continue to experience them. But Christ wades through these painful experiences to meet us and comfort us. This is the story of the incarnation: God lowered himself into a world of suffering and loneliness simply to be with us in solidarity and to invite us into the light of his resurrection.
Today’s Gospel gives us a tremendous gift: we have the opportunity to be witnesses of a conversation between the Father and the Son. God in His fullness communicates His inner thoughts and we get to listen. What could the creator of all things and perfection itself have to say? We are the topic of conversation. We are at the forefront of His mind. Before his death at the hands of human beings and before his closest friends and followers betray him, the Son thanks the Father for us. In his words, we are the Father’s gift to His Son. You are a gift; in fact, you are God’s most cherished gift, as he expresses plainly in the words of Christ. In those moments when you desire nothing more than to belong or to be wanted by another, in those moments when you experience darkness and loneliness, remember that God Himself wants nothing more than to be with you. He is grateful that you belong to Him. The love with which the Father loved the Son is the same love the Son gives to us.
Today's Readings: