Reflections from the Heart – August 8, 2021

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Have you ever asked yourself why? Why did Jesus come down from heaven?  Why did he decide and choose to enter into our darkness to risk his life to save us, to give his life to heal us, to offer his life to redeem us? Why would anyone choose to leave the beauty and comfort of paradise in all its honor and glory, in all its radiance and perfection, in all its sweetness and goodness, in all its majesty and splendor? Why would anyone leave heaven and come down into our fallen world? A world that is quickly fading and ending. A world covered in shame and darkness. A world filled with desperation and despair.  A desolate world filled with sin and evil. Why would a person who is majestic and eternal, glorious and adored, praised and worshiped, pure and undefiled decide and choose to become poor and rejected, despised and ridiculed, beaten and mocked, punished and chastised and then give his flesh for the life of the world? Love, my brothers and sisters, love. The simple answer is love. Jesus came down from heaven to saves us simply because God loves us. Simply because God is love. Simply because that is what love does. It is how love responds. It is what love is all about. Love sees a need.  It fills a void.  It provides hope.  Love comes to the rescue. Love is selfless and concerned for others, unlimited and boundless, infinite and great, merciful and kind. We really do not understand this kind of love, God’s love. We cannot grasp or fathom love that simply creates and sustains without wanting to be acknowledged or rewarded.  Love that wounds and heals in order to restore and bring relief. Love that really and truly forgives from the heart. Love that is forever and for everyone. We wonder if this kind of love, the kind of love that God freely provides, freely gives, freely shares, freely offers – the kind of love that is joyful and eternal, sacrificial and unending, unconditional and untiring, perfect and pure, holy and wholly directed to the other – we wonder why this kind of love would come down from heaven to rescue us, hurt for us, cry for us, die for us? Well, that is simply who God is and what he does. He simply loves us.