Jesus is Love

11-05-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Jesus is a sign of LOVE. He is not concerned with His image, unlike the scribes and the Pharisees who have taken the seat of Moses. Jesus avoided titles and seats of honor. In many instances, He asked recipients of His healings and exorcisms to keep secret the miraculous deeds God granted them. Jesus was the sign of the LOVE of the FATHER to everyone. He worked in the ministry without any tag or brand, discriminating none by race, color, religious and political affiliation, status in life, and others. By His MERCY, LOVE, and COMPASSION, He became the sign of God, LOVE.

We all use signs, as we are a sign to one another. If we do not follow the signs, we will all be lost in life and compromise many lives. Signs are vital for human existence; the most common is the human language. Language is essential to communicate with one another. Helpful when traveling to lead us where to go, stop, make a turn, proceed with caution, watch out against wildlife on the road, take a detour, yield, exit, and many more. In driving, not following the sign could lead to accidents, cause traffic, or veer away from the desired destination. On physical health, disregarding the signs in our body is detrimental to our health.

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted. The feasts of All Saints and All Souls’ Day remind us of our mortality. We venerate the countless saints who lived a life preparing for immortality, that is, eternal life. We remember the faithful departed, whose souls are in the hands of God. Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd, who died for all of us while we were sinners. His death is the means for our exaltation and salvation. I am the resurrection and the life. Everyone who believes, even if he dies, will live. And he who lives and believes in me will never die.

We all know that life is short, and we are all transient. Because we are mortal, we are not permanent residents, and there is an expiration date. In short, everything and everyone is fleeting and temporary. A day that passes is a step closer to our mortality and immortality. We are all on borrowed time; stop trying to build what we want people to see in us, but instead, what we want our image to be before God. The greatest among you must be your servant.

Did we remember to visit our loved ones in the cemetery? Did we remember them in the Mass on All Souls Day? Whether we remember them in the cemetery or offered a Mass or both, the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed should make us reflect on the life we are living. Alexander the Great, legend says that before he died, he had specific instructions that his hand should be left open. So that people could see that though he was the most powerful man, in death, he brings nothing. Yes! Whoever we are, we carry nothing when we leave this life. When we die, will people remember our greatness, or will they remember our KINDNESS? In death, we leave behind all that we have and take with us all that we are, A SIGN OF GOD’S LOVE.

Let us not postpone our loving, our forgiving, and our giving. Let us not postpone our conversion by walking the road of humility, now, and everything falls into its place, including ourselves.