Easter Week (Holy Week) reflection

I have been trying to use the week before Easter (aka "Holy Week") to reflect and "re-center" on what's really important as a Christian and prepare myself for another year. I read the following which has got me thinking and is helping me start out:

"The whole concern of doctrine and its teaching must be directed to the love that never ends. Whether something is proposed for belief, for hope or for action, the love of our Lord must always be made accessible, so that anyone can see that all the works of perfect Christian virtue spring from love and have no other object than to arrive at love."

This statement has so much packed into it and it strikes me for several reason.  It is so simple and yet so profound.

Let me start with this: for someone who has several non-Christian, agnostic, atheist, (some even strongly anti-Christian or anti-God) friends or acquaintances, I often wish that they could see that Jesus and God is really about love (or what Catholics call "charity") at their core. Then as soon as I think this, I think about all the times that Christians, churches, and religion have been anything but loving causing pain, suffering and confusion for many throughout human history. Gandhi even once reportedly said "I like your Christ.  I do not like your Christians". But if we Christians can do our part to make the love of our Lord always accessible then they will see that "all the works of perfect Christian virtue spring from love and have no other object than to arrive at love". And in seeing this they would see and appreciate a real glimpse at the glorious love of God.


I have many other thoughts percolating in my brain.  I'll write some of them down so I can someday come back to them :-)  

• The Beauty of Easter - springing from love - we love because He first loved us - is this what love really looks like? God's epic hustle on the Devil and Death - How God pulled a fast one on the ultimate Con Man (the Devil)
• "Love" - moving beyond the over saturated romantic definition to discover the true meaning and power of love
• Religion vs. Spirituality - separating their understanding may be helpful at times in one's faith journey
• Real Love requires Real Courage - moving beyond ourselves to find out how to truly love ourselves, God, and others - including moving past or through our pains and sufferings and giving up our deepest longings to find them truly fulfilled - I have found it takes courage to open our eyes, ears and hearts to know what real love is and would do; courage is what I have found I still need so much of