God desires eternal life for the whole world.
This passage from John holds the heart of the Gospel that God loves us so much that he would send his Son to save the whole world. It is his longing, his vision, his greatest desire that each and every one of us would let him love us into eternal life.
What would happen if our neighbours felt this longing through our love for them?
Imagine if our families, friends, and neighbours knew us as Christians who overwhelmingly wanted them to know God’s eternal love and life. All too often, we delight in judging others, feeling superior, hoping for those who hurt us to get punished. In these last weeks of Lent, let us offer our sacrifices especially for those we find hardest to love. May we long for the salvation of the world as much as God does.
God who so loves the world, draw us into your longing for the salvation of all people. Find us at the edges of our own irritation and injury, praying and sacrificing for the salvation of those we find hardest to like. To love as much as you love, merciful Father, we pray to the Lord.
Taken from CCCB Reflection
Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary
