When we think of the martyrs like Saint Valentine, what do we imagine? Probably the cruel scene of his death or the torture that he endured. This is an important part no doubt. It’s a sign of what he was willing to endure for his beliefs. But there’s a danger here: we might be forgetting what happened first.
You see, behind every martyrdom, there is a love story. Like our friend in this video, we all tend to be blind to God’s love. A martyr, however, is the one that stopped abruptly, and God happened to bump into the back of him. For the man who is suddenly struck in this way, nothing in his life will ever be the same. Once one’s eyes are opened to God’s love, nothing, absolutely nothing, seems too great a sacrifice if it allows us to give back just one drop of love.
Blind Devotion
Now, what about our day-to-day relationships with those around us? As the title says, love is best when it is blind. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges in our day is the fact that our culture as a whole seems to say the contrary: love needs to be seen, touched, photographed, shared, etc. And this isn’t completely false!
There’s a hint of something authentic here! How can we ever forget that first love poem in history when Adam saw for the first time Eve: “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh!”
Check out this link:
The problem with seeing though is that sometimes we forget that we have eyelids for a reason. Some things aren’t meant to be seen. Rather, let’s put that a different way: some things can only be seen with the eyelids closed. Sounds a bit paradoxical, I know, but that’s just the way it is.
So, let’s get to the point: we’ve lost touch with true intimacy. Intimacy comes from “intimare” (a wee bit of Latin never hurts) and originally meant: to allow something to enter inside. Today’s mentality insists that to get in, you’ve just got to knock the door down. This works excellently for robbing banks, but not so well when it comes to authentic relationships.
When it comes to people, the only way to “intimare” is to close your eyes. Overcome your egoistic curiosity and your desire to control. Learn to wait, to knock, and to trust. Break free of the illusion: tearing the veil back doesn’t get you what you are looking for! The veil simply invites you to discover a different kind of seeing, a seeing of the heart, which is the only kind that will ever show you what you most desire!
- From Caution To Communion: How God Uses Family Tension To Heal Us
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly Most people do not withdraw from relationships because they are unloving.They withdraw because they are wounded. In families especially, proximity can feel perilous. Wounded history accumulates like unspoken debt. Words linger long after they are spoken. Reactions calcify into rigid expectations. Soon we find ourselves tiptoeing around those we… Read more: From Caution To Communion: How God Uses Family Tension To Heal Us - 4th Sunday Of Lent Gospel Reflection John 9:1-41
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly This reflection is an excerpt from The Liturgical Sense of the Readings at Mass (Year A). Click here to purchase! As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.His disciples asked him,“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”Jesus answered,“Neither he nor his parents… Read more: 4th Sunday Of Lent Gospel Reflection John 9:1-41 - As A Catholic Parent, Here’s How I Guide My Kids When They’re Afraid
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly Most of our fears as young kids revolve around nighttime. As we grow up, the tools we’re taught stay with us. Whether you’ve got young ones or older ones (or fears yourself), you can keep it simple with these ways my husband and I fight fears with our kids. What… Read more: As A Catholic Parent, Here’s How I Guide My Kids When They’re Afraid - How Many Catholics Have Won the Nobel Peace Prize?
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly Throughout history, Catholics—both religious and lay—have actively engaged in efforts to end war, poverty, hunger, and injustice. From vastly different disciplines and corners of the world, they have placed their lives at the service of peace, following Jesus’ command: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children… Read more: How Many Catholics Have Won the Nobel Peace Prize? - 3rd Sunday Of Lent Reflection: Do You Trust Jesus?
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.Jacob’s well was there.Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water.Jesus said to her,“Give me… Read more: 3rd Sunday Of Lent Reflection: Do You Trust Jesus?
