Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

As Bible-believing Catholic Christians, we consider the Scriptures to be the Word of God. This means that all of Scripture is good, and will teach and guide us on the way of salvation.

This being said, it’s still natural for particular passages to stand out as favorite passages for us. It’s likely that each of us has our own favorite texts: passages that speak to us in an especially powerful way, based on our experiences, circumstances, interests and preferences.

Why do I say this? I say it because the Scripture selections for this weekend’s Masses are likely candidates for “favorite” status among many of us. Isaiah’s call in our first reading to “come to the water” and receive the abundant blessings of God is well-known; so too is our gospel account of the multiplication of the loaves and fish to feed the five thousand. As great as these texts are, my own special favorite this weekend is our second reading, St. Paul’s words in Chapter 8 of his Letter to the Romans:

What will separate us from the love of Christ?

…. I am convinced that neither death, nor life,

nor angels, nor principalities,

nor present things, nor future things,

nor powers, nor height, nor depth,

nor any other creature will be able to separate us

from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Saint Paul’s words are so powerful and emphatic; the rhythm of the phrases is like a hammer hitting the head of a nail, driving home the inescapable point: no one and nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The love of God, expressed by his Incarnate Son, is an absolute certainty in our lives. A few other Scripture verses will help illustrate some features of God’s love:

• God’s love is universal. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” (John 3:16)
• God’s love is unconditional. “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
• God’s love is faithful. “I will be with you: I will not leave you nor forsake you.”(Joshua 1:5)
• God’s love is life-giving. “In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.(1 John 4:9)

How do we respond to such a love? That’s the question. It’s a question worth pondering and praying about. It’s a question that could transform our whole outlook on life.

Blessings,

Fr. Philip