The Youth Catechism describes Creation like this:
“God created us out of free and unselfish love.[1-3]
When a man loves, his heart overflows. He would like to share his joy with others. He gets this from his Creator. Although God is a mystery, we can still think about him in a human way and say: Out of the [abundance] of his love he created us. He wanted to share his endless joy with us who are creatures of his love” Youcat paragraph 2, page 14.
This image of God’s love overflowing and making creation, came back to me last week, in London, when we were looking at the part of the exercises where a person making them contemplates the resurrection.
Also came to mind was George Aschenbrenner’s comment about Jesus’ joy, at this point in the Easter Story,being because the world could receive his love again.
At this point in the liturgical year this movement of love seems irresistible. God created out of his continually overflowing love, sustaining his creation. On Good Friday and Holy Saturday we are cut off from this love, when Christ dies and lies in the tomb. The Resurrection allows this flow of love, once more and Christ is joyful as a result.
There is also something about call in this part of the Exercises: At the tomb with Mary Magdelene; in the locked upper room; on the Road to Emmaus; on the beach talking to Peter, the Risen Christ invites the disciples to join this irresitable movement. They are called to take God’s love out to the World. As with God’s act of creation, this love brings life as we heard when we listened to Jesus say “I am the Vine” in the gospel reading two Sundays ago. This Sunday just gone we heard his call to love.
Love, Life and Joy, three Easter Words that talk of God and the mission he has given the Church. We fulfil this mission by remaining in his love and being caught up in the flow out into the World.
I had written the above in an attempt to articulate some of my thoughts and feelings over the last couple of weeks. Having finished, Neil read me a quote from the Holy Father, sent to him by Karlie, that says it all rather better:
“Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy” from Porta Fidei