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Love makes God manifest in the world

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By Mary Regina Morrell
Catholic Online

"They'll know we are Christians by our love."

Since the publication of my column last week in which I shared my grief at the death of a special friend, I have received many touching and beautiful expressions of sympathy from friends and readers alike. All of those, so deeply appreciated, brought to mind a similar experience after the death of my mom.

When I returned to work the day after my mother's funeral I was greeted by a beautifully arranged bouquet of red roses and miniature carnations on my desk. Sitting in front of them was an inspirational card, the kind you tuck away in a drawer for safe keeping so you can pull it out years from then and reminisce.

In part, the card read, "There are things you've said to me I'll always remember and ways you've helped me I'll never forget." That card brought a ray of sunshine to a dark heart -- and a smile, because that is exactly the way I had felt about this friend and the many others who had been founts of kindness during the years of my mother's illness.

Soon after, while at Mass, the importance of such "random acts of kindness" was illuminated by the second reading: "I am experienced in being brought low, yet I know what it is to have an abundance. I have learned how to cope with every circumstance -- how to eat well or go hungry, to be well provided for or do without. In him who is the source of my strength I have strength for everything. Nonetheless, it was kind of you to want to share my hardships."

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The words of Scripture were clear about the act of love that makes us Christians -- suffering together, sharing hardships. For the year and a half that I cared for my mom at home I never felt alone in my struggle because there were people who shared the hardship with me.

And so as an encouragement to all those people who may not have known how their little "acts of kindness" benefited the lives of others like me, I shared a part of the eulogy written for a mother who taught me how to be grateful: One of my favorite things to do when I go to the supermarket is to spend time reading --in the greeting card aisle. When I see one that strikes my fancy, I buy it whether I need it or not. You never know when the occasion may arise when you want to send someone a hug.

Getting hugs is something I'm come to know a lot about over the past year and a half while my mom lived with me -- and YOU are the source of my lessons. You are the ones who never failed to ask how my mom was doing -- who shared stories of your own struggles with sick and dying loved ones -- who sent cards for no reason except to let me know you were thinking of us and praying for us -- who called on the phone and made me laugh -- who brought me little gifts or watched my kids -- who shared coffee and vacations and dreams -- who fed us with home cooked meals and words of faith -- who loved us simply by being present to us.

You are the ones who kept me going with your own faith, love and encouragement, and who have made it clear that "family" is much more than a group of people who live under one roof or share a branch on the family tree . . .

Today, in light of this newest loss and as I put one more beautiful sympathy note in my desk, I realize again that, in spite of my being an only child, there is no doubt God has blessed me with a very large family of friends and acquaintances. Each one of them, with their own unique brand of kindness, continue daily to make God's love manifest in the world.

That's a lot of reasons to be grateful.