All you need is love

Readings for Friday October 16, 2009

First Reading: Romans 4:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 32
Gospel: Luke 12:1-7


I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more. I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one. (Lk 12:4-5)

In the 1960's the Beatles came out with the song "All you need is Love", and to a certain extent I would say that I agree with the words of this song, all we need is love. The way I see it is: if God is love, and all that we truly need in this world is God, then it is true, all we need is love.

In today's gospel Jesus tells us to not be afraid of the things and people of this world who can only harm our physical bodies, but rather be afraid of God who has control over our eternal lives after our physical death. While it might seem strange for us to be told to fear God, I would say that it is not necessarily a bad thing. We should fear what God can do to us, we should fear not being able to go to heaven and the fear of spending an eternity in hell. What is worse, imagine a life without love. Because if we choose to follow our own way in life, then we turn away from God, or rather we turn away from love. Imagine a life without love, it would be a pretty sad and dull existence. I believe that is why so many people who do not follow God feel so empty and conflicted inside, it is because they are living a life without love, a life without God.

While it is our eternal life that we should be concerned about, the thing that we should fear most is the possibility of a life without God. With how much I have been blessed in my life, and with how much I know He loves me and each of us, I just cannot imagine a life without Him. I pray that each of us continue on this journey towards heaven, following God where ever He may lead and persevering in this life until the end.

All we need is love, in this life and the next.

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord we thank you so much for all that you have given to us and for all of your great love and mercy. Lord, you are so good to us, much more than we deserve, let us always seek to give you glory and honor at all times in our life. Lord, we pray for all those in need of conversion, all those with hardened hearts and all those who have turned from your love; may they be brought back into your loving arms. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.