February is known as the month of love, because it is the month in which Valentine’s Day is celebrated. This special day is usually associated with romantic love. However, the El Shaddai community has focused this month on the topic of God’s love.
Last February 3, Fr. Anthony’s talk to the Gawain was about the love of God. He founded his topic on love on theGospel of John 3:16-21.
Fr. Anthony shared his reflections on the meaning of love. He explained that love means giving what is best to your beloved. John 3:16 says, “For God so love the world that He sent his Only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Sending His Only Begotten Son is a concrete expression of God the Father of giving the best to us His beloved children. With this, parents are also asked and challenged to continue to love their children by giving them the best life possible– the best education, guidance, protection, etc. In the same manner, children must do the same to their parents. Children must also love their parents by giving them all the best a child could ever give to his or her parents.
Fr. Anthony shared that God’s love begins in the family. Parents’ love is a reflection of God’s love. Parents have a responsibility to help their children understand the depth of God’s love and teach them how to share that love with others. One of the biggest struggles the youth is facing is to learn to be contented and thankful, resting purely in God’s love. If parents can help their children grasp the spiritual discipline of contentment, they will be able to see beyond themselves, and reach out to others to share the love of God.
Furthermore, Fr. Anthony continued to say that as beloved children of God we are challenged everyday and invited to offer our best praise and worship to God. For example, in our El Shaddai community, all ministry heads and council must embrace their mission and work together to foster the best place of worship for all their members. This we do to show our love to El Shaddai, for Loving is giving the best to our beloved!
Lastly, Fr. Anthony said that God’s love does not condemn but saves (cf. Jn. 3:17). The true purpose of love is to give life not death. God is rich in mercy because of His great love for us. We were dead because of our failures and corrupted nature, but He made us alive together with Christ. God saved us through faith as an act of His love.
Fr. Anthony and the El Shaddai community is inviting everybody to attend our Gawain at San Antonio Parish Church at 4 PM every Sunday, which culminates in the Holy Eucharist. Come and see how we worship and praise God for His wonderful love for all of us sinners.