"Be Ready for the Test of Love"
by Amalia Quiroga
"Give, and it will be given to you" (Lk
6:38): how consoling and also how
challenging these words of Jesus are for us
who live in the community of believers. It
is interesting also to look at the context in
which we find them in the Gospel. They
come after the Beatitudes, the "new"
teaching that shows what kind of people
truly live by God's love – people who love
even their enemies. The verse that brings
us these words ends with a fascinating
affirmation: "the amount you measure out
is the amount you will be given back."
It shows us the measure we ought to use
in giving: one with which we cannot go
wrong, because it is the measure used by
God himself, set by the stature of his
power, his mercy, and his faithfulness. And
that measure is Love. Love with a capital L,
utterly free of cautious calculations,
disinterested love that looks only for the
good of our sisters and brothers and helps
them to grow in the sight of God and of all.
We are called to be living examples of this
kind of love, no matter what the way of the
world may be at the moment. The world
tries to persuade us that love doesn't exist,
that we are individuals trying to make out,
each one for himself, and that the our
universe revolves merely around what we
ourselves want.
How is it possible to live the kind of love
that Jesus shows us? I believe it is
fundamentally a matter of abandoning
ourselves like little children, entrusting
ourselves completely into God's hands.
We learn to know what love is when we
allow the Holy Spirit to "play" us – like
musical instruments – bringing forth the
sounds and the silences that together
produce the melody of love. It is the Spirit
of Christ, always at work within us, who
makes it possible for us to be, all together,
our risen Lord singing his own melody in all
the various needs and duties in which we
find ourselves.
We are called to be a leaven in the world,
making our world rise to believe that Jesus
has come to bring us his Kingdom of
justice, peace and love. He, who is the
Way, the Truth and the Life, is looking for
followers who continue to bear witness as
he did, living his message of new life, a
message that cannot be reduced merely to
an inward, private kind of piety but that
rather expresses unmistakably in the way
we behave the two dimensions of the
Cross: the vertical dimension, an intense,
personal relationship with God in
contemplation; and the horizontal, which
embraces all the needs and all the
expectations of our fellow human beings.
God calls us, and his Spirit enables us, with
generous hearts to bear witness to them all
of God's love for them all.
The parable of the talents (see Matt. 25:14
) reminds us that each one of us has
received a variety of good things from
God: life, health, charisms: every inward
grace, physical and material good thing we
have experienced in our life so far. God has
entrusted these values to our care, so that
we can invest them, work with them, for
the building up of his Kingdom. When we
share with our sisters and brothers and in
that way use our 'talents' for the good of
others, they are multiplied enormously, for
ourselves as well as for all.
We need to accept the challenge of our
times, and really commit ourselves to the
service of our sisters and brothers, our
"treasure" (see Lk 12:34). If we do that,
we will be transforming the society around
us, as the early Christian community in
Jerusalem did – so that everyone could see
that they were "united, heart and soul"
(Acts 4:32). And, as we are speaking of
sharing the good things we are given,
enjoying them together, let me share with
you something that came to me not long
ago, that I believe draws out and explains
well all that we have been saying.
Of some things given me, God will not
expect me to give any account. Of others,
he will certainly expect me to give account,
"in the nightfall of my life" when I will be
called to undergo "the test of love" (St
John of the Cross, from Words of light and
love, Advice and suggestions 59):
The Lord will not ask me how many square
meters the size of my house, but "how
many brothers and sisters in need have
you welcomed into it?"
He will not ask me about the car I drive,
but "to how many people did you give a
lift?"
He will not ask me what brandlabels
are on the clothes I have in my wardrobes, but
"to how many people have you helped to
clothe themselves?"
He will not ask me how much I earn, but
"how faithful are you to My Word in giving
your tithe?"
He will not ask me what degrees or
diplomas I have earned, but "have you
done your best to make progress, to pass
the test, to 'be there'for those around
you?"
He will not ask me how many friends I
have. but "how many looked upon you as a
real sister, a real brother, when you
reached out, always attentive to them in
their need?"
He will not ask me where I live, but "what
kind of witness were you to the Son of God
in the way you treated others, and what
kind of responsibility did you take for your
neighbor?"
He will not ask me about the colour of my
skin, but "at heart how genuine were you
when you came in contact with others
whose color, race, culture, beliefs, were
different from yours?"
He will not ask me why I did not respond
from the very beginning to the Father's
love for me, but rather, whether I want to
live forever in his presence, and together
with all my sisters and brothers enjoy his
love eternally!
And, when time is ended, may we, every
one, hear ourselves called by name and
invited by the Master: "Come, you whom
my Father has blessed, take for your
heritage the kingdom prepared for you
from the beginning of the world. For I was
hungry and you gave me food; I was
thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a
stranger and you made me welcome,
naked and you clothed me, sick or in
prison and you came to see me" (Matt
25:3436.
Amalia Quiroga, from
Argentina, is a leader in
the Community
Convivencias con Dios,
at present assisting in
the ICCRS office in
Rome. This article
appeared first in Venite
e Vedrete, official
magazine serving the
Renewal in the Holy Spirit and Catholic Covenant
Communities in Italy. Translated and published with permission.
Article from National Newsletter of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in South Africa – May-June 2008 Edition – with permission.