Is Love Giving Or Receiving? | Word from the Shepherd No. 175
5th Sunday Easter | Year C
Acts.14:21-27; Apoc.21:1-5; Jn.13:31-35
It was dinner time at a monastery. An old saintly priest rose to serve water to the others. None of the clergy there, accepted his service. (They were filled with thoughts of their unworthiness).
But the old priest continued. He came to Abbot Little John, and the abbot allowed his glass to be filled to the brim. The others were horrified, and they cornered the abbot:”How can you do this? How can you think that you are worthy to be served by that saint?”
Abbot Little John only said: “How can I stop good from manifesting itself? You have no humility to receive. You deprive that person the joy of giving”.
This was what was happening in the times of the Acts. Individuals and Pharisees desired and plotted to stop good…to stop the good news from reaching the gentiles at this point….to deprive others the joy of the good news. How do we curb or block good deeds and good news? Many create rules; or judge things with their pre-conceived ideas; or view with warped perceptions. What we end up doing, is on insisting on the “one and only way”, stifle the good that waits to manifest itself, deprive people the joy of giving, and refuse to receive.
To see good, is to see God, and to receive good. It is the call to be the “branch of the True Vine”. In a spirit of yielding, we learn to let things happen. It is allowing ourselves to be pruned, to shelter, to abide, to rest, to flow and to be used, and to bear fruits. Our fruitfulness is in “finding one’s self in the flow of love. We become reflections of the True Vine, the Branches the yield enduring and witnessing fruits of love. The Lord is glorified and glorifies Himself, in our giving and receiving love and goodness. And He said: By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.
Love generates love, goodness sparks goodness. Flow with the Spirit that in alive in all situations. Be receptive to events and people in our flow of life. Do not refuse to receive (maybe, it is the Lord who is coming in disguise).
THE FLOW GIVES & RECEIVES, and IN THE FLOW, IS OUR GIVING & RECEIVING.
