God's love? How wide? How deep? How long? How high?

You love all things that exist.  You spare all things, for they are yours, O Lord, you who love the living.  For your immortal spirit is in all things. Wisdom 11:24, 26

This passage is a prayer to God.   “You” is   referring to God.  It is mentioned that the whole universe is just a small piece of grain, and only a drop of dew.  To us the earth seems large, besides the little of outer space that we have discovered, let alone the whole universe.  Here is a great mental image of how small even the largest things are to God.  This isn’t meant to demean us or belittle us.  The point of describing us and the world we live in as “small” is for us to realize that we are creature and God is creator.  God loves every part of creation.  The passage continues to say how all things are only possible through the power of God.  Although we are little in the big scheme of things, each one of us is most important.  God created humans in His image and loves each one of us as individuals.  While He is powerful, loving His creation is what He does first.  We praise God as creator and Father of us all.

Both Scripture and the Church Fathers insist on three kinds of conversion. They are; fasting, prayer, and alms-giving.  All three types of interior penances express conversion.  The CCC (1434) calls us to “every sincere act of worship or devotion that revives the spirit of conversion and repentance within us and contributes to the forgiveness of our sins.”  Repenting for something that has been done is not as easy it may seem.  We may worship and pray the liturgy and think that we will be forgiven but in the end God is the ultimate decider on how we are forgiven. Do we ever sincerely repent of the sins we’ve committed?  Do we live our lives differently? Do we frequently celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

 Hoban’s Core Values: Cultivation of the Heart as Well as the Mind

In Wisdom 11, it reveals how God is powerful and merciful. He gives his merciful and unconditional love, by looking pass our ways, accepting our differences and showing forgiveness. How often do we thank God for seeing another day or thank God for his great compassion?  In our lives at Hoban do we look at one another and see the positive qualities that God has blest each of us? Do we repent by saying sorry when we know in our hearts we have done wrong?  Do we make amends for the sins that we have repented?

 Prayer: God’s Mercy and Unconditional Love

  

 Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy upon us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.   

     I pray, Father, that out of your glorious riches you may strengthen me with Your power.  So that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith. And I pray that I, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within me, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.