Our Father's Love

Last Sunday was Fathers’ Day. We greet and salute all the fathers, who together with their wives, continue to care and to shower their children with their love.

 Last Sunday was also Jose Rizal’s birthday, a great Filipino who continues to remind us Filipinos of a son’s deep love for one’s country and people.

 We also celebrated Holy Trinity Sunday, a special day reminding us of so many great attributes about God, but most especially, about our God the Father’s love for us. Not only did He create us in His image and likeness. Not only did He create a world to meet our daily needs. He gave us His only Son Jesus Christ to bring us back home to Him.  He also sent us the Holy Spirit to remind and guide us always back to God our Father.

 The Holy Trinity remains a mystery but confirms the love of our God the Father that was reinforced and crystallized for us through His Son’s love for His Father and through the continuing presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit who continues to be with us until our grand reunion back with God in heaven!

 Just how great is God’s love for us? Allow us please to share our recent insights.

 The readings for the past two days have focused on Abram and God.

 In a special wedding anniversary mass with just the three of us, Orly, myself and Fr. Michael Coleman, we learned about Abram, about the significance of his being a nomad. Fr. Michael explained that it was imperative for nomads to be together, to stay close together for their protection as well as for meeting their needs. Being together had challenges as well, however, which took the form of strife and fights.

 So God told Abram to separate from his brother Lot. We can all imagine how difficult it must have been for Abram to separate from his brother. All of us can relate to Abram and we fully understand the pain and difficulty of being separated from our families and loved ones. Also, being nomads, Abram took on the added risk of exposing themselves to external danger and attacks by separating from his brother’s group.

 Abram, however, obeyed the Lord, despite much uncertainty and pain. Abram complied because of his strong faith and love for God.

 Abram also showed us what real brotherly love means.

 Abram allowed Lot to choose the best location first.  Abram ensured the best for his brother first and humbly and generously agreed to take over the lands, which his brother did not choose!

 Of course, Lot chose the more fertile, more productive lands but Abram did not mind at all. He was that generous and loving of his own brother!

 Abram had always been a constant reminder to us all of a mortal’s great faith and love for God. By giving to Lot the right to choose first, Abram also displayed a mortal’s love, of human love, for his sibling, for his family.

 But not to be outdone, God showed us, through His relationship with Abram, the deeper meaning of Divine Love.

 For Abram’s generosity and unselfish human love for his brother Lot, God asked Abram to look around, from east to west, from north to south. God then told Abram the good news - that all the lands that Abram SET EYES on was his, as well as those of his descendants – care of God’s bountiful grace!

 We all know that even when God asked Abram to sacrifice his only son for God, Abram proceeded to raise the knife to offer his son, despite the pain and ache in his mortal heart and mind. Abram sacrificed his human love for divine love!

 God, however, knew Abram’s deep love for his son. God also saw how deep Abram loved Him and for Abram’s profound faith and love, God as the most loving Father of all, rewarded Abraham with abundant grace, but most especially His divine love forever!

 For all of us who have felt the love of our parents, siblings, spouses, children, relatives, and friends, we understand the deep meaning of human love and are very grateful for the blessings, the security, the peace, the protection that love confers.

 Can you, however, imagine a love greater than any love that anyone here on earth can offer and share?

 Try enjoying the divine love of our God the Father and be amazed at how much more profound and assuring God’s love can be! Be amazed at how much peace, security, and joy you will experience knowing and believing, like Abram, in God’s immeasurable divine love!

 There may be those among you out there who feel that there is no one around who loves you. That is certainly not true. No matter who or what you are, our God the Father continues to love you so deeply!

 You may wish to explore for yourself this great divine love of God our Father? Enjoy God’s love each day of your beautiful God-given life!

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