30th Week, Thursday, Oct 30

Paul talks about the Father; Nothing can separate us from God's love.

30th Week, Thursday; Romans 8:31-39

An old hymn describes God's love this way:

"The love of God is greater far

Than tongue and pen can ever tell;

It goes beyond the highest star."

The most moving stanza of the hymn is the last. James Montgomery Boice says this stanza was not composed by the original composer, but was added later. Found written on the wall of a room in a mental hospital, it reads:

"Could we with ink the ocean fill

And were the skies of parchment made;

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky."

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How convinced are we that nothing can separate us from God's love? "We should give God the same place in our hearts that he holds in the universe." Anonymous

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Each day presents countless opportunities to reorient our hearts toward God. In the first reading, Paul’s letter to the Romans urges us to pause and examine the direction of our lives. He reminds us that our lives are not our own; we belong to God, in life and in death. Everything we do, every choice we make, should be rooted in that sacred truth. When I pause and reflect on these words, I observe how easy it is to drift from that awareness. Instead of turning inward to allow God to illuminate the areas within us needing grace and growth, we often turn our gaze outward. That is, we begin to assess the behaviors, choices, and missteps of those around us. There is a difference between walking alongside a friend in compassion and holding others to account from a place of superiority. The former reflects Christ’s love; the latter echoes the very behavior St. Paul cautions us against. When we judge others, we place ourselves in a position that belongs to God alone. Instead of being instruments of mercy, we become obstacles to grace.
In Luke’s Gospel, we are told of the joy in heaven over one heart that turns back to God. That joy is not reserved only for those who repent but also for those who recognize their need for mercy and reach out for it. 
The Gospel challenges us as Christ’s followers to be vessels of that same love. To let go of the instinct to critique and instead embrace the discipline of self-reflection. When we are tempted to focus on the flaws of others , whether a family member who frustrates us, a co-worker whose actions we question, or even public figures whose choices trouble us, instead, we can turn to God in that moment. We can ask for His grace to see others as He sees them: beloved, redeemable, and worthy of love.
So today, may our hearts reflect the mercy of God. The same mercy that has been so freely offered to us, and in doing so, let us live more fully for the Lord.