As I was saying last week the word “reciprocal” has been a part of the vocabulary that has come up these past several weeks due to the news of the April 2nd Tariffs the United States will impose on other countries that trade with us. But it struck me of how reciprocity is a part of our life of faith. No, not reciprocal tariffs but so much a part of the profound mystery of God’s love: a love that is not distant or one-sided, but deeply reciprocal.
God invites us into a relationship that is mutual, where His love for us calls forth a response from our hearts. Lent is a time to reflect on this divine reciprocity and ask ourselves: How are we responding to God’s boundless love? As Jesus tells us, “Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). These two commandments are inseparable because they reveal the reciprocal nature of love. God’s love for us is not meant to end with us; it is meant to flow through to others. When we love God, we are drawn to love our neighbor, and when we love our neighbor, we honor God. This is the beautiful reciprocity of the Christian life.
During Lent we are called to examine the ways in which we live out this reciprocal love. Do we truly receive God’s love, or do we keep Him at arm’s length? Do we allow His grace to transform us, or do we cling to our own selfish desires? And how do we extend that love to others — especially those who are difficult to love, those who are marginalized, or those who have hurt us?
The penance practices of Lent – prayer, fasting, and almsgiving — are not to be empty rituals. They are invitations to enter more deeply into this reciprocal relationship with God and others. When we pray, we open our hearts to receive God’s love and respond to Him in gratitude. When we fast, we detach from things that distract us from His presence and make room for His grace. And when we give alms, we mirror God’s generosity by sharing what we have with those in need.
But let us remember, this reciprocity is not a transaction. We do not love God or others in order to earn something in return. Rather, we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). His love is the source, the model, and the goal of our love. And when we love in this way, we participate in the very life of God, who is love.
As we continue this journey of Lent, let us ask for the grace to live in this reciprocal love. Let us strive to receive God’s love more fully, to respond to Him with our whole hearts, and to share that love generously with others. In doing so, we prepare ourselves to celebrate the great mystery of Easter — the ultimate expression of God’s love, where He gave His only Son so that we might have eternal life. May this Lent be a time of deepening our relationship with God and one another, a time of growing in the beautiful, reciprocal love that He has shown us.
Last Saturday’s St. Patrick & St. Joseph Dinner Dance was a great success! I want to give a big shout out to our Family Ministry who made it such a joyful, wonderful event: THANK YOU! Your dedication to our parish community is so much appreciated. I want to thank Lorraine Caruana’s son, Richie Stewart and his friend, Rich, who cooked the delicious Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner; Thank You! And thank you to Pizza Time for the awesome Chicken Parmigiana! Yes, a wonderful night for all. Thank you to all were present ~ blessings and joy!
St. Jude, pray for us ~
Blessings & Joy,
Fr. Ryan