I am quite happy to capture a picture with this wise man, who is both a friend, a wise mentor, and the pastor at our church.  Fr. Tom is a gentle, soft spoken man, that speaks such incredible words during his homily I often find myself taking out a pen and paper to capture a few of his words.  It has been a joy to work with him for the last three years as we mutually learn from each other. 

A few weeks ago, his homily was on Mt 22:34-40 where Jesus shares what the greatest commandment is, “You shall love your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” and then he goes on to say, “and you shall love your neighbor as yourself”.  In his challenging homily, Fr. Tom invited us to “see with our heart” both in our relationship with God and our relationship with others.  When we do this, we understand Jesus’ commandment deep down inside of us. 

We must first love God, and, I would add, be loved by God.  Once we understand the depth with which God loves us we are transformed in a way that we can love our neighbors, our family, our friends, and our colleagues, even those that frustrate us, in a way that God invites us to love–with compassion.

Seeing with God’s heart invites us and allows us to hold people in a way that we ourselves cannot do alone.  It is only with God and through God that we can see and understand in our hearts that God offers his love to all people, not just the ones we like.

How do you feel about the depth of God’s love for you?
How have you experienced a transformation due to God’s love for you?

Becky Eldredge

Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.