“I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.”  Each one of us should be able to make this same simple, but beautiful declaration of St. Paul.
            Jesus loves me and has given himself up for me. Can you feel in your heart the deep, personal love that Jesus has for you as you are? Do you appreciate how remarkable it is that the perfect expression of his love for you is that Jesus suffered and died for you as you are? The key is to remember that Jesus loves as we are and Jesus suffered and died for us as we are.  Jesus loves us with all of our imperfections and, yes, with all of our sins. And Jesus suffered and died for each one of us in the full knowledge that none of us would live in perfect fidelity to him and to his Gospel. This was the reality of the first disciples. Indeed, it was the reality of the first leader of Christians – St. Peter. He betrayed Jesus. He sinned grievously against Jesus. But Jesus loved Peter and Jesus suffered and died for Peter. Jesus wants each of us to feel deep within our hearts his love for us as we are – in all of our goodness, in all of our sinfulness, in all of the messiness of our lives. This should be a tremendous source of consolation and hope for all of us!
            What is our response to a love so profound, so beautiful, so remarkable? Our response should begin with simple gratitude. Every day we should begin our day with an expression of gratitude to Jesus for the love that he has for us. And every day should end with an expression of gratitude to Jesus for the love that he has for us. Our gratitude to Jesus should find expression in our desire to develop a rich relationship of intimacy with him through prayer and the sacraments. Our relationship with Jesus, in turn, expresses itself in our desire to grow in faithfulness to his life and teaching. This is what it means to live by faith in the Son of God. It is to have a living relationship with Jesus that is reflected in our efforts to conform our lives to his. This is the way that we express our gratitude to Jesus and confirm that we live by faith in him.
            May all of us celebrate the love of Jesus for us as we seek to make his life our own!