Monday, October 5, 2009

LOVING YOUR FAMILY AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF

Gospel Reading today Luke 10:25-37:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as you love yourself." Luke 10:27

"..........the Priest and Levite walked by the man who had been stripped and beaten, but a Samaritan who was traveling that way came upon the man, and when he saw him, his heart was filled with pity.....he then went on to take care of him." Luke 10:30-35

As I was reading the gospel of Luke this morning, I thought to myself there is probably no one else on earth that we love with all of our soul, strength, mind and heart than our families. We will do anything for our husband and children.....even lay down our life for them. How can we spread our amazing love for our family into the world and love our neighbor as we love our family? Maybe by being more like the Samaritan, in today's gospel reading, who stopped and cared for the man instead of walking right past him. Loving our neighbor as ourself is not walking past our family and onto something that we think is more fullfilling or more "important" such as our self worth or being more financially hip. When we flea the home for fullfillment in today's world, we are walking right past our children and the home....the very place where souls are nurtured and formed. But when we stop everything we are doing and care for our husband and children, we are like the Samaritan woman who stopped and cared for the man who had been robbed and beaten. When we do this, we are are loving our neighbor as ourself and in turn we shall live. There is no greater fullfillment than laying down your life for a friend. For then is when you are loving the Lord your God with all your strength, heart, mind and soul. Trying to be the example of the Samaritan instead of the Priest and the Levite by not walking past our family and onto something "more important or fullfilling" is something that our selfish world is thirsting for......examples of loving your neighbor as yourself.

Blessings to you this Monday!

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