Love Within Us

 I was listening to a talk by Fr. John Riccardo on the Holy Spirit.  It was part of a series of talks titled RCIA for Catholics, although most of the talks could be titled “for Christians”.  I listened to the talk for discussion with a men’s group, but some points really hit home with me.

“The only thing that lasts is love.”  The Holy Spirit is the gift of God’s love within us, whether we perceive it or not, and the love we accept from Him is the only thing we will take with us into eternity.  That’s the thing about love so often forgotten, we yearn for love and want it desperately, but it is given.  We don’t take it; we can’t force it.  We’d like to feel we’re worth it, but regardless of what we feel about ourselves, we can be and are loved anyway.

“The cross manifests love.”  I was glad to hear those words because many do not perceive that, even if they might say they believe it.  Some people can’t bear to look at a crucifix, to see the body of Christ there.  They only see pain there.  I was reminded of my own gift of the Holy Spirit when I was challenged about the value of seeing Jesus on a cross.  “You know He’s not on the cross anymore,” the man said, reminding me of the Resurrection and Ascension.  But I was inspired to tell him a tale of how my own father once did an act of extraordinary love to get me a gift.  I told him how I tossed the gift down and hugged my father, well aware of the sacrifice he made to get me that gift.  His love was way more important than the gift.  “I look at the crucifix that way,” I told him.  Looking at it I see the tremendous act of love Jesus did, to give us eternal life.  Seeing Him on the cross, I don’t even think about the gift, only the love He had for me.

“I just want to love the one who loves me.”  The cross manifests love.  Fr. John’s talk gave many examples of the workings of love through the Holy Spirit.  He mentioned one point, however, which I guess hadn’t hit home before with such strength.  “There is one thing the three greatest saints in the Bible all have in common.  Moses, David and Paul all killed.”  The greatest sin of un-love they did, deliberately, yet through the love in them of the Holy Spirit, and God’s neve-ending mercy, they were forgiven.  There is no sin we could commit which would end God’s love for us.

If you wish, you can hear the hour-long podcast here: 

https://stanastasia.libsyn.com/rcia_for_catholics_session_4_the_holy_spirit

It is well worth the listen, and the possible opening of your heart to the Holy Spirit within you.