Do we see Christ inviting, alluring us to love?

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

A reflection on the daily readings by Father Perry.

+ I am quoting the following from Reddit: “TIL [today I learned] that the Beatles used the word “LOVE” 613 times in their songs. 613 is also the average number of seeds in a pomegranate [so what, huh?). It is also the number of Jewish commandments [now that’s serendipitous].”

+ But if we listen to Jesus‘ teachings, there is nothing serendipitous, lucky, average or surprising at all because he insists that the most important thing to do in life is to love.

In fact, John says in his first letter: “Wherever there is love, there is God.”

And so John, echoing Jesus’ teaching, also insists: “Whoever hates his brother, is still in the darkness; whoever loves his brother remains in the light.”

+ Now, what “to love” means is arguable.

I have always said that it does not mean that you have to have a pizza with a person. Rather, it means that you want “the good” for them.

You are willing to pray for that and work for that so that it happens for another. Wanting “their good.”

St. Paul describes what “to love” means almost as a song in 1 Corinthians 13. What a list! Wow!

+ TIL (today I learned) something else — and this is the truth (at least according to Wikipedia): “The Book of Leviticus states that a mother should be considered unclean for 40 days after giving birth to a boy and for 80 days after giving birth to a girl.”

I guess that is somewhere in those 613 commandments. But I remind you, the word “love” is used 613 times in the Beatles’ songs.

+ Now Simeon, a righteous and devout Jew, had received a promise from the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Christ of the Lord.

Well, he saw the Christ; he took Christ into his own arms, and blessed God saying: “Lord, now let your servant go in peace [die] for my eyes have seen salvation.”

He saw more. He saw pain and suffering in the equation. He saw a “sword” piercing the heart of Mary.

He saw “the cross,” although he did not know it was the cross.

His revelation to Joseph and Mary was a furthering of the ultimate understanding of the Gospel — the “good news” encrusted with bad, painful, sinful, redeeming, and loving news — “the cross.”

+ The burning questions is: “Do we see salvation?”

Do we see the Christ commanding, begging, imploring, inviting, and alluring us to love?

Do we have to hear it 613 times, or do we get the point?

+ “LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,” sing the Beatles. “All you gotta do, is love.”

Father Perry D. Leiker is the 14th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.