St Peters RC Church Hamilton

“Let us love on another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4 v 8)

Learn this in the silence

Of personal heartfelt prayer,

Seeing how to apply the teaching.

Why? Because:

God is mercy.

God is kindness.

God is faithfulness.

God is forgiveness.

God is trustworthy.

God is holy.

Who could possibly

Want more than

A share in obediently, the love

Of the almighty Trinity?

The Father is in Jesus.

Jesus is in the Spirit.

The Spirit is in us.

“...by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1 v 4)

Without fuss or worry,

No disappointment, no anxiety,

We are made family

Entirely out of love.

Seek this in the silence

Of personal, love offering prayer.

Love of the Trinity

Each for the other.

Love too, for us,

Because of Jesus’ †.

Love in all power,

Our hope of redemption,

A realisation come true

Entirely through love which is obedient,

When we love as the Lord Jesus does.

“You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion and gracious, long suffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” (Psalm 86 v 15)

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue ...” (2 Peter 1 v 2, 3)

“In this the love of God was manifested towards us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4 v 9)

Thank You especially for the holy Eucharist, enabling us to be filled by the love of Jesus, according to Your wishes and the working of the Holy Spirit, Lord God.

“In this is love,” (v 10)we discover by means of the Spirit, You send us through Jesus, dearest Father, the fact is “Not that we loved You, but You loved us...” (based on v 10)

It is because of this love shaped as an incredible, rejuvenating mercy, calling us back to be Your family, we realise You allowed Jesus “...to be propitiation for our sins.” (v 10)

Jesus sacrificial death upon the † of justice, appeases Your rightful wrath, the heart of our rebelliousness. Jesus saves us from condemnation and the hell of final separation. Jesus’ death is expiatory, an atonement.

Thank You for the reconciliation effected by means of love and forgiveness. Let there be a godly response. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (v 12)

The reason why is this: “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” (Cont.) May the Eucharist help with this.

“By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit,” (v 13) Jesus’ presence resulting in love as evidence, a response to being made righteous.

May we always act correctly, love fully, be full of humility. “Humility is not a virtue, but the realisation that we lack every virtue.” (Hans Urs Von Balthasar) Let us seek to become more virtuous by becoming more loving like Jesus.

I ask that in our families, at work and in society in general, we develop the ability to love selflessly, unconditionally, just as Jesus loved us. I ask in His name of perfect love offered to us. Amen.