The Definition of Unconditional Love
Today's Office of Readings required the recitation of a portion of Psalm 18, which spoke praise and thanksgiving for God's salvation. In addition to that Psalm, the two-year cycle of Biblical readings prescribed the third chapter of Genesis. Additionally, this author's most recent choice for non-Biblical reading has been Spe Salvi. These particular readings spoke volumes about the unconditional nature of God's love for humanity (and each individual human).
After the Creation Story, the author of Genesis provided an account the Fall, the original sin. We've all heard it before: God was crazy about Adam and Eve, but they messed up that relationship, for themselves and every future generation. However, the situation did not remain without hope! The sin of Adam and Eve could not prevent God from promising salvation for all humanity throughout all history.
Remember Genesis 3:15, which the Church proclaims as the proto-evangelum! But, God's love doesn't stop with that grand promise. At the end of that same chapter, God "made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them" (v. 21). Despite the grave mistake, God showed His devotion to humanity through an action that (in this author's estimation) was intended to prevent further sin. With covered bodies, man and woman would have fewer opportunities to lust after one another, thus remaining more pure.
The idea that God loves humanity unconditionally was expanded upon and solidified by St. Paul in his letter to the Romans (which happens to deal quite extensively with sinful lifestyles). He wrote: "For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v. 38-39). Did you get that? Nothing will ever cause God's love to be absent!
Recitatation of Psalm 18 served as a reminder of personal sinfulness, the reconciliation offered by the Almighty, and the subsequent conversion. Indeed, there have been many times when the "cords of death encompassed me, the torrents of perdition assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me, the snares of death confronted me" (v. 4-5). God, however, did not deny His truth and grace to me: "From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears" (v. 6). After my soul cried for redemption, He moved me toward His Church, whereby He offered to me the sacrament of Reconciliation; He offered me true forgiveness!
With great hope, I pray that all of you will remember God's unconditional love, seek Him during your dark nights, and allow His healing to come upon you in the wonderful sacrament of Reconciliation.
God Bless.
After the Creation Story, the author of Genesis provided an account the Fall, the original sin. We've all heard it before: God was crazy about Adam and Eve, but they messed up that relationship, for themselves and every future generation. However, the situation did not remain without hope! The sin of Adam and Eve could not prevent God from promising salvation for all humanity throughout all history.
Remember Genesis 3:15, which the Church proclaims as the proto-evangelum! But, God's love doesn't stop with that grand promise. At the end of that same chapter, God "made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them" (v. 21). Despite the grave mistake, God showed His devotion to humanity through an action that (in this author's estimation) was intended to prevent further sin. With covered bodies, man and woman would have fewer opportunities to lust after one another, thus remaining more pure.
The idea that God loves humanity unconditionally was expanded upon and solidified by St. Paul in his letter to the Romans (which happens to deal quite extensively with sinful lifestyles). He wrote: "For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v. 38-39). Did you get that? Nothing will ever cause God's love to be absent!
Recitatation of Psalm 18 served as a reminder of personal sinfulness, the reconciliation offered by the Almighty, and the subsequent conversion. Indeed, there have been many times when the "cords of death encompassed me, the torrents of perdition assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me, the snares of death confronted me" (v. 4-5). God, however, did not deny His truth and grace to me: "From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears" (v. 6). After my soul cried for redemption, He moved me toward His Church, whereby He offered to me the sacrament of Reconciliation; He offered me true forgiveness!
With great hope, I pray that all of you will remember God's unconditional love, seek Him during your dark nights, and allow His healing to come upon you in the wonderful sacrament of Reconciliation.
God Bless.
