Love God Right There

I was reading Fr Z’s excellent blog. He said something in this post on one of the prayers of the liturgy about application of Church teaching being specific. If I can see someone I am to love God right there in that person. If I am to do some task I am to love God right there in that task.

We are called to love and desire God’s will in concrete situations, in the details of life, especially when those details are little to our liking.

We must love God in this beggar, this annoying creep, thisJesuit, not in beggars, creeps, and Jesuits in general.  We must love Christ and His Cross in this act of fasting, this basket of laundry, this ICEL translation. I said it was a challenge!

These words bring home to me how essential the personal is in this life. MY role is to be used to love God in this load of dishes or laundry, this lesson in our home school, this child who just got into something not theirs–again. This blog post as well. Every goal I set needs to be re-focused with this truth in mind.

Every goal from my intentions for the education of my children, to the training of the pony, to sewing garb for SCA, to writing articles or stories, to developing my ventriloquism, and playing my autoharp must become an act of loving God.

Every aspect of my life needs to be refocused to be an act of love to God. This husband, this child, this house, this vehicle, this activity must each be an act of loving God. No exceptions.

I’ve let the scandals take my eyes off of what is actually essential. I intend to change my focus.

I must keep it simple. Love God in the person or activity in front of me.

Let’s finish up with one more quote from Fr. Z’s blog post. This time the prayer from the liturgy that he translated and discussed. I liked his literal translation:

O God, who make the minds of the faithful to be of one will, grant unto Your people to love that thing which You command, to desire that which You promise, so that, amidst the vicissitudes of this world, our hearts may there be fixed where true joys are.

Amen.

And my own prayer today:

Dear Lord, Thank You for the writings of Fr Z. Please bless and protect him and all the clergy who are faithful to you. Please convert those who are not. Please help me to see and love You in each person, each activity, and each moment. +Amen.

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