We must stop, get down from the impetuous vortex that regulates the life of our times, listen to the voice of God speaking within us. Are we not capable of it? We can try to listen to the silence, to let ourselves be carried away by the wonder of a musical melody, to let ourselves be amazed by the beauty of a landscape. And then remember that everything that surrounds us, everything we perceive, is a gift from God. Even in this way we can pray.
God created us by loving us first, and he has always hoped, and still hopes now, that somehow we will be able to love him in return: «As the Father loved me, I too have loved you. Stay in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept the commandments of my Father and remain in his love for him. I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be full.” (John 15,9-11). And so, love brings joy.
We have all experienced it: when we are in love we are happy. When we make a good gesture, one of those that smell of love, we feel happy. When we help a person who is in difficulty and give them back their smile, we are happy. When we love God we are happy. And we are happy even when we feel loved by Him.
The problem is precisely this: being able to feel loved by God. Perceiving his love. Oh, because God’s love envelops us at every moment, but we, too often, don’t realize it. One of the best metaphors to express the bond between God and man is found in the parable of the vine and the branches: Jesus is the true vine, the true tree that sinks its roots into the soil of God’s love.
This love rises from the roots and, like sap, passes through the plant to reach the most peripheral branches, the branches, which are us. And through us, the same love that comes from God is transmitted to the leaves, first to the flowers, and then to the fruits. Trees, symbol of longevity and wisdom. Trees, well planted in the ground, but with the ability to grow and change as the seasons change.
If the tree rests on good roots, that is Jesus, then the plant grows strong and vigorous. It is a sort of “symbiosis” that Jesus proposes to us: through us his love reaches the leaves and fruits. Through Him we acquire security, strength, nourishment and love. A nice exchange, where only we have to gain. Yes, because the only ones who need this symbiosis, in the end, are us.
Our life is hectic. A whirlwind of commitments and a thousand worries, which envelop us like strings, distract us from the divine message. A thousand anxieties of this world distract us from prayer and push us to put our spiritual life on the back burner. And so worries have stolen Jesus from us. We no longer think about Him. We don’t realize how much He loves us. We fail to feel the rivers of love that God constantly pours out upon us.
It is this distance, this distance, that does not allow us to perceive his love. We must remain in Him. We must remember that we are made in his image and likeness. We must stop, get down from the impetuous vortex that regulates the life of our times, listen to the voice of God who speaks within us. Are we not capable of it? We can try to listen to the silence, to let ourselves be carried away by the wonder of a musical melody, to let ourselves be amazed by the beauty of a landscape. And then remember that everything that surrounds us, everything we perceive, is a gift from God. Even in this way we can pray. Thanking God. Showing Him our gratitude for the beauty that surrounds us.
When we learn to recognize the visceral and free love that God, “compassionate and merciful” (Ex 34.6), proof for all of us, then we will be able to train ourselves to take the next step: taking this love that descends upon all of us from God and pouring it on our neighbor: “As I have loved you, so you also must love one another” (see John 13:34).
If this commandment still seems distant to us, let’s try to read it with the help of Saint Augustine, who offers us a simple recipe to follow: “If you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind , there will be nothing left in you with which you can love yourself. He therefore loves, he loves your God with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his mind”. We must empty ourselves of selfishness and narcissism to fill our hearts with love for God. Then, having abandoned the feelings that disfigure our human nature, we will be capable of truly loving.
Source: La Buona Parola, Alessandro Ginotta’s blog https://www.labuonaparola.it
YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/AlessandroGinotta
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