Reflections on Romans 8

Sunday's readings are a banquet for all to be nourished from.  Isaiah 55's beautiful invitation from the Lord calls out to those who have ears to hear:

"come to me heedfully, listen so that you may have life"

The Lord himself will nourish and sustain us in all of our needs. In the Responsorial Psalm He will:

"satisfy the desire of every living being" 

"he is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth" 

What is that desire?   It is here that I go to Romans 8:35,37-39:

 "Brothers and sisters:

What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelminglythrough him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,nor angels, nor principalities,nor present things, nor future things,nor powers, nor height, nor depth,nor any other creature will be able to separate usfrom the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

It is the love of Christ that is my heart's desire, and when I truly heard this, when I listened in truth, some of the great temptations in my soul began to break open. In truth,I must face that I am I am frequently diverted from seeking out the love of Christ, but I so deeply desire it! And even in my sinfulness my famished heart still cries out to God, though I fear to acknowledge this. And yet, all my actions reveal a soul grasping for the love of God, but I often allow my worldly fears, not God, to direct my passions, and they become degraded and weakened.  There have been certain times in my life when I have succumbed  to the world and it's version of fulfilled desires; whether it is security in money, possessions, popularity or pleasure.  I cannot describe how overwhelming it was when I realized that in all that I was doing, I was always searching for Him!  How far I allowed myself to be led outside of God's protective love! The powerful words of Paul, and the wisdom of the Gospels and all of Sacred Scriptures have embolden me to let go of what I think is my hearts desire, to refuse to feed my famished heart with junk food. I will continue to come to the Lord, in His Word and in the Eucharist, to feed my heart with God's love and truth!  I will cry out for His love, and all of the readings for Sunday assure me that I have nothing to fear, he will not reject me or overlook me.  He will not send me away to find what I need elsewhere, but with great mercy, love and power He will fill me with His riches!