24th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A - 17th September 2017
“All you need is love, love is all you need”
Yes, you can sing it if you wish –“ all you need is love, love is all you need”!
There is nothing new in this. St. Augustine said: “Love, and do what you will.” So many others, including St. Teresa of Calcutta sought to build a civilization of love. Yet the call to love does not seem to be working – the time clock recording that the world is destroying itself is just a few short minutes from midnight.
Love is.......
We had “The Love is...” cartoons. “Love is pretending you haven’t heard his story before”! “Love is pretending to have forgotten her birthday”!
A DIY test – Could you be love at the heart of your home, your workplace, your community? Here is a little practical check list from St. Paul (1 Corinthians 13:1-13) the reading used in Marriage ceremonies. We are invited to tick the boxes.
Love is........................................always patient? [ ]
Love does not............ keep a record of wrongs? [ ]
Love is......... always ready to make allowances? [ ]
We only need to pick one of these for this week.
The Pass and Honours Class of Love
The pass class is easy. You just hope the one who has annoyed you will slip on a banana skin, get their come-uppence or whatever is coming to them. Yes indeed, it is too easy and, anyway, they might get thousands in compensation and that would annoy you all the more!
The honours class involves carrying the crucifix at all times reminding us of how much God loves us with a love that costs not less than everything. We test all our attitudes and reactions against the figure of Christ on the cross. Meanwhile I just have to go and start ticking my own boxes......
Fr. Michael McCullagh C.M.
A few further thoughts..... “Resentment and Anger, these are foul things, and both are found with the sinner.” – From today’s reading from Ecclesiasticus 27:33-28:9.
Love your enemy; nothing annoys him (her) so much.
Charlie Brown in the gospel according to Peanuts.