The View From Above

Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.” John 15:9-11

Today's Gospel spells out what is expected to obtain complete joy. Well who doesn't want that? Let's get to it.

I've been reading this small book by Fr. Jacques Philippe, The Way of Trust and Love, and I must say that it truly packs a powerful punch. From lessons on Faith and Hope and Trust to quotes from St. Therese's letters and prayers and writings from the last moments before she died, this book is loaded with ways to live a life of love, even in the midst of great trial.

In the bookstore as many of you know, there are balconies that overlook the front of the store and we can often see and hear great things in that "view from above". That makes me think today, along with the reading and the excerpt below from "The Way of Trust and Love", what does God see and hear from us as we go about our day to day work? Are we "scattering flowers"?

"'Love brings about love in return,' St. Therese said, quoting St. John of the Cross.  The love was already there, obviously, permeating all the attitudes we have talked about up till now - trust, humility, and abandonment. To those should be added all the little acts of love we choose to make in response to an invitation of the Spirit. These powerfully attract God's grace. What matters, as I said, is not to do extraordinary things, but for love to do the little things that form the fabric of our lives, to please God, to make our neighbors, parents, and friends happy. Therese called that 'scattering flowers.' The surest way of loving God is loving the people around us-loving them in a considerate way, accepting them as they are. This is an essential point."

Consider adding this book to your list of "must reads". It is phenomenal! Oh, and today, try "scattering flowers" so we can share "complete joy" and the "view from above" can be "something to behold."