Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from You.”

We are impressed by the love that organizes rescue missions for whole countries or gets a vaccine to homes for the elderly in the third world. But we may shortchange the power and value of our own reassuring words, our compliments to the living, our greeting, the time we take for a short, encouraging call, our interest in another's work, our sympathy in their pain, our coaxing a friend to submit her poems or to run that race. In both instances we see the power of love to transform and give birth to something new.

But there's more to it. When the Gospel of John speaks of Jesus loving Lazarus (and all of us) so much that he raises Lazarus back to life  (John 11:1-45)   , there is also an underlying condition for all this. Before Lazarus comes out, the stone must be rolled away from his tomb. And so with us, before anyone's love can be so effective in our lives, it helps if we are open to it; the stone must be rolled away. Before a helpful word or bit of attention can do any good there has to be some receptivity. Love certainly can break into a stony heart but some openness makes the task easier.

Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”

Reply to Fr. Don at: DTalafous@csbsju.edu

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