Tuesday, June 30
This post was provided by Deacon Fred Toca
True Love of God
by Deacon Troy Smith
If we are asked whom is it that we love most in the world, how do we respond? Our natural response is going to be our spouse, our children, our parents…
In today’s gospel (Matthew 10:37-42) we are told that whoever loves another (including family) more than GOD is unworthy of GOD’s love and comfort. On the surface and in our secular minds we might as well throw up our hands, give up, but not so fast.
GOD makes it abundantly clear that whatever we do to HIM, whatever we give to HIM – is equal to what we do and give to others. GOD’s word is not confusing, we are confusing HIS word on our own – it is us. My friends, when we love GOD first we love all HIS people including our families. He created us to be a family of all HIS creatures. Well, we humans messed that up pretty good, What do you think? We don’t have to look much farther than having to fight to say that “BLACK LIVES MATTER.” GOD measures our love of HIM by our love for each other. How do we measure up?
He measures our love by a “cup of cold water” offered to the thirsty child. That cup of cool water represents the dignity of every person. That cup of cool water is social justice, racial justice, criminal justice and all the other justices that “just us” seem to be without.
Christ suffers as the wounded and the neglected. Christ is in the chokehold of George Floyd and the fatal gunshot wounds of Rayshard Brooks. Christ is locked in the cage with the fleeing immigrant children. Jesus is the homeless and poor.
GOD’s message is clear. To be worthy of GOD, we are called to show worth to all of HIS creation. Absolutely all lives matter, GOD makes that abundantly clear. And the world is not listening, which is why we must shout “BLACK LIVES MATTER.”
We are seeking understanding in injustices that continue to disrupt our lives. And it is by knowing how loved we are by GOD and by sharing that love that we find our answers.
Deacon Troy Smith serves at St. Raymond & St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in New Orleans, Louisiana.