WHAT LOVE SEES

Mass was about to begin and I looked around to see who was coming in. There she was, looking as if she’d just come from an overnight party. ‘Oh brother!’ I thought to myself. ‘Can you believe that? There are some things you just don't wear to church’.

LOVE saw a woman who had lost her keys at the party and spent the night at a hotel where she could freshen up before coming to church, with only that party dress to wear. It never even occurred to her to skip Mass because she didn’t have something else to put on.

(Luke 9:26)
For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

As the service began, a voice boomed out drowning even the choir. And boy was he off-key! “Who is this guy?” I muttered to my wife. “He sings worse than I do”.

HOPE heard a man who had finally found a job that he was good at, one where his contribution mattered. After months of being unemployed, after months of rejection letters, the Lord placed him in a position where he could have a positive influence on those around him.

And his response was to sing for joy even though he knew he couldn’t carry a tune, because he also knew that the Lord listens to the heart as well as the voice.

(Psalm 149:1)
Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

And then the inevitable happened: a child started crying. What was wrong with these people? Why couldn’t they leave their noisemakers at home?

FAITH saw a woman who had to choose between staying home with her restless toddler or bringing him to church and risk being criticized by those of us who should know better.

(Matthew 18:2-3)
And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

‘And what was the priest reading? Hang on, I know that passage’:
“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again”.
(Matthew 7:1-2)

And I thought back to when I saw that party dress, and when the big voice boomed out in song, and when I heard the child crying. My reaction was less than perfect, to say the least. On the other hand, GOD heard the joy of praise, saw the commitment of one who would not let anything stop her from attending Mass, and felt the love of a mother for her child.

And I could almost hear the Lord say, "Each one of these could have been excused for not attending Mass this week - to celebrate with the family, to avoid critical eyes, to take care of a loved one - but each one chose to put Me first, for in doing so everything else in their lives falls into place".

(1 Corinthians 13:13)
And now abideth faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.

Published: October 30th, 2005

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