Law of Love

Fun fact. Right now, Aaron and I are both humming the theme from StarWars as we both work at our computers. Nerds. That means it's time for some Coldplay instead...

So yesterday, I found myself watching a (gulp) marathon of Real Housewives of New York. Go ahead and judge me - I judge myself. There's something about reality TV, it sucks you in and makes you forget about real life. I hate that. I hate not living my own life. But nonetheless, I've been sucked into their world of gossip, deceit, and middle aged women acting like Mean Girls in high school. Lame sauce.

There is a good side about watching this smut...kind of. It makes me really appreciate that I don't have their lives. I'm so happy that my life is pretty non-dysfunctional. I can get along pretty well. Thank you Jesus. I'm not saying this to judge them as people, what I'm saying is that I'm so thankful that I was born into the family I was born into. They taught me how to love and live and to know God as my Father. Saved me from a world of hurt. My family showed me a glimpse of what God's Family is like.

I went to Mass last night thinking about this - Real Housewives compared to my own life and all. I'll be honest, I was kind of lost during the first reading for a bit. It was from Amos and there was a line in it about "when will the new moon be over", and I thought of Twilight (barf) and kind of laughed slash felt bad slash was totally lost for a minute or two. (When will the new moon be over? When will the Twilight fever die? I'm sorry if you're a fan. I really am sorry. I just don't appreciate the books. That's another rant for another day.) Later on, the Gospel was about the servant who is trustworthy in small matters will be trustworthy in great ones. I like that. Trust is big for me. I am trying to work hard at it. I want to be a trustworthy servant who trusts.

Anyway....the nitty gritty. When it was time to receive Jesus, I did, and came back to my pew next to BFFK and Aaron, and I prayed. Earlier in the day, I was hanging out with them in the apartment and reflecting about how much they show the world that God is Love through the Sacrament of Matrimony. I am blessed to see the good and the hard parts and God's Love is through it all. I was reflecting about this as I prayed after Communion and I looked up and saw this middle aged couple walk up the center aisle, receive Jesus, and walk back to their pews. (You know you all people-watch during Mass.) I wouldn't even noticed them too much except that the woman was walking with a cane. She seemed too young for a cane, hence why I really noticed her and her husband. I noticed too that her husband didn't walk behind her or even walk with his hand on her back, to guide her. No. He held her hand the whole time. Because she had a cane, clearly she walked a little slower, so there was a little Mass traffic jam behind them as they walked back. I watched the husband and saw that none of this phased him. He kept his eyes locked in front of him and gripped his wife's hand as they struggled back to their pew.

I started to cry.

I realized, witnessing them during Communion, that they were living out their vow "in sickness and in health". They were a shining light to the world of what the Sacrament of Matrimony is all about - walking with your spouse to Christ and getting them to heaven...and everyone else along the way. The husband had to hold his wife's hand to get her to Jesus, and she in turn had to hold his and let him lead her. It was beautiful. I can't completely explain it all, but it was beautiful. The love they shared between one another and the way that they love the Lord...that's what it's all about. That's our Christian walk. That's what husband and wife are supposed to be - a light to the world to show who God is and what His love for us looks like and to give him all the glory. His love holds our hand when we can't walk on our own.

That's what BFFK and Aaron show the world. It's what they show me.

Real Housewives have nothing on what the Sacrament is, no offense to them. But in all seriousness, if you want to change the world, if you want to show the world God's Love, it starts in the family. It starts with how you love. That's what people will see. How are you showing God's love to the world? Are you burning with the fire of God's Love? Are you being a light and a trustworthy servant?

I'm not perfect...at all. But I want to love like Love does.

St. Gianna Molla (favorite) said that "Be living witnesses of the greatness and beauty of Christianity."  She was an amazing woman, disciple, wife and mother. She worked with teens and shared who Jesus was with them. She lived in the world but wasn't of it. She enjoyed life and lived it to the full, knowing who gave her Life to live abundantly. She loved to love like Love Himself an through her marriage to her husband (who she was crazy about) and family (who she was utterly devoted to). She has showed the world (especially me) that human love shows a glimpse of God's love and that holiness is possible for a girl like me and that it's not reserved for those in monasteries. It's for all of us. She even said, "Love is the most beautiful sentiment the Lord has put into the soul of men and women."

Holiness comes down to the law of Love.