Reflect today on how you can truly love those of your family

Jesus said to his apostles: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. " Matthew 10: 37-38

Jesus explains an interesting consequence of the choice to love family members more than God. The result of loving a family member more than God is that you are not worthy of God. This is a strong statement intended to evoke serious self-reflection.

First, we should realize that the only way to authentically love the mother or father, son or daughter, is first of all to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. Love for one's family and others must flow from this pure and total love for God.

For this reason, we should see Jesus' warning as a call to make sure that we are not only loving him fully, but also a call to make sure that we fully love our family by allowing our love of God to become the source of our love for others. .

How can we violate this command from our Lord? How would we love others more than Jesus? We act in this sinful way when we allow others, even family members, to take us away from our faith. For example, on a Sunday morning while you are preparing to go to church, a family member tries to convince you to skip Mass for another activity. If you allow to appease them, then you are "loving" them more than God. Of course, in the end, this is not an authentic love for the family member since a decision was made contrary to the will of God.

Reflect today on how you can truly love those of your family by first turning your heart and soul towards the love of God. Allow this complete embrace of God's love to become the basis of love in every relationship. Only then will the good fruit come out of the love of others.

Lord, I give you all my mind, heart, soul and strength. Help me to love you above all and in all things and, from that love, help me to love those you have put in my life. Jesus I believe in you.