“There is only one happiness in life… to love and to be loved”

Lent is a time to really recognise just how much God loves each and every one of us.

A time to reflect on our lives. Are we living through Jesus?

A time to realise that God sacrificed his one and only son for me and for you!

And when I think of the love of God I can’t help but think about what the Apostle John says:

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 

(1 John 4:7-12)

I love that Bible passage! Whenever I hear that quote, I can’t help but smile.

The fact that God IS love brings me so much joy, God’s love for us has no height, width or depth because he IS love…it's endless!

And everything we do in Lent is out of love, fasting; our love for ourselves, alms-giving; our love for other people and prayer; our love for God.

Today is the Solemnity of St Joseph, husband of Mary.

St Joseph was “just a man”, yet God, chose him out of love, just like Mary.

St Joseph was a perfect example of showing love.

St Joseph was caring, compassionate, a man of faith and obedient to God.

St Joseph saved Mary from public disgrace (Matt 1:19) and he loved Jesus greatly, not only did he leave his home to protect Jesus, but upon his return settled in the obscure town of Nazareth out of fear for his life. When Jesus stayed in the Temple we are told Joseph(along with Mary) searched with great anxiety for three days for him (Luke 2:48). We also know that Joseph treated Jesus as his own son for over and over the people of Nazareth say of Jesus, "Is this not the son of Joseph?" (Luke 4:22).

So today we take St Joseph as our example, an example of showing love. We think about not just those people close to us but those who need Gods love, and we are to be that channel of love!

We think about the unconditional love God has for each and every one of us, and this is what we should strive in Lent to show, let us be the face of Christ for many people. Let us show our brothers and sisters uncondtional love.

God changed the world because he loved us so much and let us try to do the same…not just by sacrificing chocolate or alcohol, not just by giving money to charities and praying loads every day…

but acting out The Greatest Commandment…"Love your neighbour"

And finally, let us,

LOVE life

LIVE lent

and

TRANSFORM our world

By Rebecca Ryder

Age: 20

Currently working as the Performing-Arts coordinator at Animate Youth Ministries, the Youth Service for the Archdiocese of Liverpool