Not long ago I took the SkyTrain to Science World for a jog. It was a cloudy day and I noticed the debris from nearby construction, the faded colours of the buildings, and a bunch of garbage littering the side streets. Even the ocean water looked a bit dirty and grey.
I was struck by the difference I saw the following weekend as I took the SkyTrain. It seemed like a different place altogether. The buildings seemed bright and happy; I didn’t notice the debris and the garbage. I just saw beauty all around me: bright colours and impressive buildings.
The difference was that the sun was out, and everything it touched became beautiful.
It made me think of how it is the same with love: whatever it touches becomes beautiful.
Love is so important and such a game-changer that it “covers a multitude of sins.” Love can also hold a variety of experiences, feelings, and hardships. It is expansive and generous; it makes us forgive and overlook the blemishes.
We need that kind of love right now, especially in these days when many of us have thinner skin due to the stresses and disconnection of COVID. Slowing down a bit for a smile, a kind word, or an act of service can go a long way.
Where can we get that sunshine love? How can we experience it?
I experience love in many ways: in moments of connection with family and friends, when I receive the Lord in the Eucharist, in times of prayer, and especially when I feel God’s forgiveness and how he loves me despite my littleness.
Spending time with and receiving Our Lord in the Eucharist is always an experience of love for me. I often have the grace of experiencing it in a very tangible way. I feel his presence, speak to him intimately, and adore him with every cell of my body and being.
As a highly sensitive individual I’m sensitive to spiritual realities. I can say that when I’m in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord I know that there isn’t just something there, but Someone. The joy and fullness I feel when I receive the Lord strengthens me daily and gives me the courage to choose love over fear and anger.
Another way I experience love, as do others, is by letting God’s love flow through me and responding to the many little calls of love. In other words, by experiencing the dynamism of love working within me – when I respond to someone’s plea for help and offer a listening ear; when I encounter a disabled person who although unattractive to this world is able to move my heart to compassion.
Matthew Kelly after the birth of his first son wrote that he remembered thinking over and over again: “If I can love my son this much, and I am weak and broken, flawed and limited, imagine how much God loves us.”
Kelly’s experience of his love for his son provided insight into God’s love. The more we love, the more we will know God’s love.
There are so many opportunities even right now to extend a caring hand. This is a good time to figure out our God-given talents and put them to use for good.
The Catholic Charities men’s shelter and Catholic street missionaries are always looking for volunteers. Your parish may need help with cleaning, administration, or hospitality.
And of course, there is always the alms of prayer for both the living and deceased.