Peace be with you: Where there is hatred, let me sow love



Where there is hatred, let me sow love

Peace from God’s love
God's presence is love and Love is forgiveness. The love in the face of the hatred is a divine gift, which emerges from the forgiving heart. Only the love ignited by the God's presence can forgive. Such genuine love forgives the person/s or situation/s, which led oneself to the disappointments, betrayals, insults, humiliations, frustrations, injuries, etc. The love can forgive all the injuries and there are no lists of injury beyond the reach of divine love. Our Lord Jesus Christ became the model of such love by demonstrating praying for forgiveness for humanity at the cross. He forgave the people who betrayed Him, insulted Him, rejected Him, wounded Him, humiliated Him, and stripped Him. This kind of love cannot be earned, or educated, but only possible through God's mercy and grace. This is a precious gift of God that can be attained by asking and praying. One who has attained this level in love will be able to give excuse to the actions of brethren. He/she will be a blessing to whom ever he/she serves.

Where there is love there is a sense of security and freedom. Where there is freedom there is growth and prosperity. Where there is love there is God's presence. One who loves neighbors loves God and reflects the radiant love of God to the world. God's presence in this world is a promise from God Himself as Jesus Christ assured his apostles that he will be with them to the end of the earth.
The nature is sensitive to God’s love. God's presence and love are intertwined; intercalated; and mingled; in every thing in the world from nature to the human being and in all creations. St. Francis of Assisi and St. Antony appreciated God's presence and love in nature. They preached to the human through words and their life role model and they preached to the nature including animals when human were stubborn to listen. In biblical account, we can see numerous incidences where God’s presence is eminent and explicitly revealed through nature. In the desert, Moses and the Israelites were led by the clouds and even the red sea divided and made path for their escape from Egypt. The help of a raven in the wilderness nourished Prophet Elijah. Hungry lion refused to eat Daniel in the den. Likewise, nature reveals God's goodness and presence all the time. In the same way, God's presence and love can be experienced through fellow humans in day today life. We can see and experience God's presence and love through good-hearted fellow humans from the receiving side and we can reflect and resemble God's presence to others when we are at the providing end. Every man in the world has numerous chances to receive and to give in resembling God’s love through his humility and good will. When a human is moved with love and compassion towards another human, there is the actualization of the promise of God's love and presence. When compassion coupled with action, there is a model of Good Samaritan. St. Francis of Assisi lived this concept of giving and he placed this thought in his prayer as, “For it is in giving that we receive.”


Annapoorna Mary, 2011
Prepared and presented in the Franciscan Retreat, November, 5th, 2011
Our Lady of Queen of Peace Retreat Center, Memphis Dioceses.

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