John and Lisa's Blue Skies Blog – Soaring with God

In my spiritual reading today, I came across this passage from St. Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35 – c. 108):

“These are the beginning and the end of life: faith the beginning, love the end.  When these two are found together, there is God, and everything else concerning right living follows from them. . . .  Nothing is hidden from the Lord, but even our secrets are close to him.  Let us then do everything in the knowledge that he is dwelling within us that we may be his temples, and he God within us.”

This reminds me that when we do everything with faith in God, faith in His presence within us, we can’t help but grow in love for each other.  Where there is faith and love (and hope), there is goodness of intention, thought, speech and action.

We cannot pretend to be full of faith and love – because even if we succeed in fooling people, we never fool God.  “A tree is known by its fruit.”  (Luke 6:44)

Let us remember that we carry God within.  May our faith in Him and love for Him perfect our compassionate hearts.  May we reflect His goodness and love to the world.