The Fire of Divine Love

He was surprised to see that the bush,though on fire, was not consumed.

But I tell you, if you do not repent,you will all perish as they did!

The fire of God's Love does not consume the bush.  In other words the bush does not perish in the flames of God's Love.  Certainly this is a miraculous experience we witness in the call of Moses.  But if we look deeper into the mystery of the Burning Bush, we can recognize the mystery of the Divine Love that burns in the hearts of the faithful.  This Love has the power to illumine our hearts, our minds, our lives, even our very souls.  But it is not a consuming fire.  It will not devour us.  We are not reduced to ash.  We are enlivened.  We are enlightened.  We are renewed.  We are healed.  We are called.  We are affirmed.  We are strengthened..We are nourished,   And we are sent on a mission.  In the fire of God's Love we know our true identity and what we are capable of doing.  All in His Love.  All in His Love.  The  liberation of Moses in this encounter with Divine Love leads to the liberation of the people of Israel.  Our own encounter with Divine Love leads to our own liberation and the liberation of others as well. So great a mystery is this that it is hard to accept.  Even though the graces and blessings are manifold, we are often slow to approach because we are always counting the cost or trying to calculate what it will cost.  How are we going to have to change?  What will our friends, or co-workers, or family think?  What will I have to give up?  These doubts, these questions are all born from a false belief that if we draw close to the flame of Divine Love we will be burnt or consumed, turned to ash.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Evidence of this is clearly heard in the words of Jesus in the Gospel,  If You Do Not Repent, You Will All Perish!  In other words, if we do not turn back to God, if we do not draw near to the fire of Divine Love, then we will perish.  In our fears we shall perish, consumed not by fire but by our own sins born of selfishness, we shall be turned to dust and ash.  Trampled under foot.  Yet we rush headlong into sin, temptation, and perversion of every sort.  By perversion I mean that our relationship to everything in life is disordered.  Disordered are our thoughts and opinions.  Disordered is our relationship to nature and the benefits of creation.  Disordered are our appetites.  Disordered are our affections.  Even our self understanding is disordered.  Thus family relationships, relations with friends, and even strangers, all are perverted, all are disordered in some way, shape, or form.  WHY?  Because we are not in right relationship with God.  Again, in other words, since we draw back from being in relationship with God in His Divine Love for us, it is impossible to know the Truth of our lives.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  By refusing to approach Him we are left to our own devices.  As sinful, weak and fallible as we are it is impossible for us to comprehend and live in the Truth without the help of our Father's Divine Love. We are called to turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel during Lent.  Let us not be afraid to approach the flame of Divine Love that we may be illumined with the tender Loving Mercy of our Father who Loved us so much that He sent His only Son to be our Savior.  In Him we are free.  In Jesus we have come to know and believe in the Love God has for us.  May our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls be set aflame in the wonder of His Love.