God's Love
Over the last month, I have been reading a little biography of St. Philip Neri. He was a unique man from Florance, Italy, who lived during the time of the Reformation, eventually spending a significant amount of time in Rome. He is known as the patron saint of joy. I picked up a little book filled with many of his sayings, along with the biography. I want to spend just a brief minute with one of those sayings in light of the Gospel text for this coming Sunday:
The love of God makes us do great things.1
St. Philip Neri
St. Mark recounts Jesus call to His first disciples this week.
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed Him. And going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed Him.
Mark 1:14–20 ESV
In his first epistle, St. John tells us that ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:16). In his Gospel, John recounts Christ's teaching, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) So maybe what St. Philip Neri was getting at when he said that ‘the love of God makes us do great things,’ was that Jesus makes us do great things. Jesus is love. Jesus laid down His life for us. And this true Love makes us do great things.
In his life, St. Peter did many great things. So did the rest of the Apostles. And yet, those great things stemmed from Jesus and His call to follow.
God’s love made them do great things. Jesus called them to follow. Same same.
And so it is for you. God’s love makes you do great things. Jesus’ love has called you to follow Him. Just like Peter and Andrew, James and John, you are called to this great thing of walking after Jesus, of following Him. What true love there is in being called to follow our Savior, keeping our eyes fixed on His cross, and rejoicing in His good gifts which we so freely share with the world.
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From President Buss
I don’t remember the weather, but I do remember the date: December 19, 1986. Place: The Chapel of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne. And the chapel speaker was Dr. David Scaer. I do not remember what he said, but I do remember what happened right before chapel that day.
My girlfriend was down to Fort Wayne to visit from college at Concordia University Wisconsin. (The added advantage of her presence was that she would iron my shirts. LOL) The day had come and I was going to “pop the question.” I had received some advice from Steve, a fellow seminarian, as we lived in the same dorm. As you ask her hand in marriage, say to her, “Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.” (Psalm 34:3)
Well, I asked if she would marry me, nervously mumbled the passage, and the rest is history. I’m not sure Marie remembers I quoted the passage either.
The fact that we sinners can glorify the Lord and exalt His name is pure grace and gift. Our togetherness as forgiven people in Christ is pure mercy and the work of the Gospel!
If God Be With Us: The Maxims of St Philip Neri, Edited by Father F.W. Faber p. 44
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