Monday, July 11, 2011

It's been a while...

My poor little blog hasn't gotten any love lately. But I realized that it's time to change that. I mean, since everything else in my life is changing I figured why not?

So... I'm married! Just a little over two weeks and it is very blissful to say the least. My swimming career is over but my new job (swim instructor) is all about helping little kids realize their own swimming dreams.

More importantly my love is changing. Everyday of my new life I realize that the way I love my husband and the way I love others is very different then it was before. I've discovered the depths of love that I have to give to others around me, especially my family and friends. Marriage is a life time commitment and to fully embrace that commitment, one must realize that love isn't just a feeling. Love is a choice. You choose to sacrifice for those around you, especially your loved ones, and the people you care the most about. It reminds me of the reading we had just this past Sunday (July 10).

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear." The disciples approached him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because 'they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.' Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: 'You shall indeed hear but not understand you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them.' "But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. "Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold." Matthew 13:1-23


This gospel reading made me think that perhaps the seeds are like our sacrificial love given to others. Sometimes it dies or is choked because of the barren soil or rocky ground we've bestowed it upon. But that does not mean that we should ever stop giving this love away. Sometimes our acts of kindness, love, and charity are not reciprocated or appreciated. We sometimes feel like we move heaven and earth for our friends and loved ones and yet receive nothing in return... But that's ok! If we are loving just for our own potential benefits then we are truly not loving at all. Christ did not die because there was "something in it" for Him. Oh no, he did it out of pure love. He suffered so intensely just for us. Sadly, sometimes we are the rocky ground or the vines that choke out this love. Sometimes we are not the fertile ground that we need to be in order that we may truly accept the Fathers love and forgiveness. God never withholds love from us. But too often we are too barren to absorb it....

So what does this mean when it comes to building up the Culture of Love? We need to show the love of Christ to all people even when we know it will not be returned. Also, we must cultivate our spiritual lives into fertile ground so that we may better absorb the Fathers love for us.




1 comment:

  1. Well stated Susana!

    Do you notice the seed falls everywhere? God's love has no boundaries or limitations. The journey of life is about striving to receive this love,and trying to emulate this boundless love. Our love is not measured by success, but by faithfulness to God's love.

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