Love Finds Ways to Love

 

My prayer petitions to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and my readings of her life, have opened my eyes to things around me I hadn’t noticed before.  She said: “Love the person in front of you.”  My eyes have been opened to how often I fail to do that, if not downright ignore the person in front of me.

The easy-to-see occasions are when someone says they need something from me, whether money, a ride, or some time.  It’s easy to check my wallet or my calendar and quickly respond: “Sorry I can’t help today”, and totally forget them.  Also, easy-to-see occasions are those where we see someone struggling with a walker, or too many packages, or even the guy wandering around the parking lot, obviously looking for where he parked his car.  It’s easy to turn away from their struggles.  And sometimes we need to really SEE the person in front of us, to see their shabby clothes, or notice the way they are favoring their arm, or talking with a rasping voice.  These people don’t tell us of their monetary needs, or their recent surgery, or their upcoming surgery, or of their soon-to-end life, unless we ask.  And sometimes we need to notice that person who is always in the adoration chapel or stays long after mass to pray.  All these are people are in voice, action, or appearance saying to us --- if we are listening --- “I need.”

Their saying “I need” is the Jesus within them saying “I thirst”; I thirst for you.    

In today’s Gospel the man asked Jesus “But who is my neighbor?”  Jesus responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan, who helped the man he saw in need by the side of the road.  He just helped him.  That was the good neighbor.  That’s what Mother Teresa was saying that she did (and advised us to do), “Love the person in front of you.”

The Good Samaritan mended and found lodging for the man by the side of the road.  But how do we love those we see in need of love? The first step is to stop, and focus on them; don’t pass them by.  That sounds obvious and simple, but I’m also coming to learn that it is much easier to focus on myself, or focus any conversation on myself or what I can do for them.  But loving them says they are important; and people need love.  Letting them talk, and listening, says loudly that we think them important.  Even if the people we focus on only feel we are acting out of mercy, love is a form of mercy.  By focusing on the one in front of us, we are loving our neighbor.

Love finds ways to love.

I think the greatest prayer people are praying these days is to ask for God’s mercy; It’s as if we were asking Him to focus on us.  He is already focused on us; He was there waiting for us to call.  That’s what love does; it focuses on the one loved.  And He has always loved us, and always will.