Walking in God's unconditional love

My audio of this reflection is podcast at:http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts/
Good News ReflectionThursday of the First Week in LentMarch 5, 2009
Today's Readings:Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25Ps 138:1-3, 7-8Matt 7:7-12http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/030509.shtmlAudio:http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_03_05.mp3
Walking in God's unconditional love
Queen Esther totally trusted God (as we see in today's first reading). She knew that she could count on his help as she spoke boldly to her husband, King Xerxes (also called Ahasuerus, a Persian), who was planning to murder the Jews who lived in his kingdom.
By daring to stand up for her people, she endangered her own life. Her faith in God's love gave her the courage to make a difference in the lives of others. To this day, the Jews commemorate this in the Feast of Purim.
The writer of our responsorial Psalm also knew that he could count on God's help for the same reason: God loved him.
Are we that confident? We have visible proof of his love, which the psalmist did not have — Jesus who died on the cross for us — so why do we often act as though we're not sure that he truly loves us?
Jesus says in today's Gospel passage that we find what we seek. If we're seeking God's love, we find it. If we're seeking God's help, we find it. Jesus shows complete confidence in God's love for you when he says: "Knock, and the door WILL be opened for you!"
The problem is, we stand at the door and knock ... and knock ... and knock. Jesus is calling out to us, "Come in! It's not locked!" but we don't believe it. Something childishly immature in us is convinced that we don't deserve it.
We were raised in a system of rewards and punishments — at home, in school, and even in the Church of the post-Trent, pre-Vatican II era when people feared going to hell if they sipped even a little chicken broth on a Friday.
Although our parents told us, "I'm punishing you because I love you," the child in us equated love with reward and punishment with the withholding of love.
However, Jesus loves us so much that he took the punishment we deserve! God is not on the other side of the door blocking it until we start behaving perfectly.
When we understand what Jesus did for us on the cross, we realize that the door is already open. We step over the threshold and LIVE WITH God in mature faith. Only then are we able to do what Jesus tells us to do at the end of this scripture.
As long as we think that we deserve to be punished, we want to punish others. When we know we are loved no matter how imperfect and sinful we are, it's easier to love others no matter how imperfect and sinful they are. We treat others the way WE want to be treated, because the question of who deserves what no longer matters.
Forgive yourself for everything and anything that you don't like about yourself. Make a list and nail it to the door of God's kingdom. The Father will interpret that as a good, loud, resounding knock, and he will open the door wide. Now enter into his love by choosing to love yourself without limits or conditions.
Today's step on the Lenten journey: Write a statement of unconditional love for yourself.
© 2009 by Terry A. ModicaFor PERMISSION to copy any of my reflections, go to:http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm
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