Love as He Loves
"Jesus summoned his disciples and said, 'My heart is moved with pity for the crowd...'" (Matthew 15:32)
"Jesus summoned his disciples and said, 'My heart is moved with pity for the crowd...'" (Matthew 15:32)
What is striking about this Gospel reading is how tangible Jesus' humanity is as he expresses the movement of his heart. Our lives as Christians is about having our own heart be transformed so that we might love as God Himself loves. The opportunity for our hearts to be transformed is only possible because Christ assumed ALL of humanity - even the darkest parts of our being. But the glory of the Incarnation is that Christ has redeemed us, and despite our sin and brokenness, this path towards life in the Love of the Trinity is truly possible for us.
If we desire to have our hearts be transformed so that we might love as God loves, then it would be a good practice to notice in the Gospels when Jesus mentions how his heart is moved. In this episode of Jesus healing many people and feeding them, his heart is stirred with compassion for those who are lame, blind, deformed, and mute. In his humanity, Jesus loves these outcasts, and because of mystery of the Incarnation, we too are able to be moved with love for those around us who are outcasts.
Who are the outcasts in my life that I am called to love as Jesus would?
Lord, heal my heart so that I might love as You love. Amen.
Nicole Patterson is an Echo Apprentice at Our Lady of Lourdes in Dunedin, FL. Echo is a two-year service graduate program that allows apprentices to work on their Master of Theology at the University of Notre Dame while serving the Church at various Dioceses around the country. Previously, Nicole graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, KS with a degree in Theology and a member of Benedictine College Women’s Soccer. In her free time, Nicole enjoys hiking, reading, and playing pickle ball.
