Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Novice Sister Concepcion contributes her reflection for the Lenten Series.
When I first came to the convent, I thought I was here because I fell in love with God. Now I realize that I am here because He is in love with me, which is far more remarkable. God’s bountiful love continues to amaze me and through His love I have found that one of the most difficult things to do in life is to truly love the way God loves. In true love there is freedom and happiness that has no strings attached. In order to love you have to let go completely of your attachments to things and false beliefs that tell you that you cannot be happy if you don’t have that person or thing; you have to remove the shackles that hold your freedom and happiness as prisoner. As Father Anthony De Mello says in his book The Way to Love, in order to free yourself from these attachments, particularly in relation to others, you must learn to say, “I leave you free to be yourself: to think your thoughts, indulge your taste, follow your inclinations, behave in ways that you decide are to your liking.” True love is freedom for the other person and for yourself. God loves with freedom and says these exact things to us and this is how we should love.
As you venture deeper into this Lenten season ask yourself: What attachments do I have? Who am I holding hostage with my attachments? Am I loving God in this way? Do I allow Him to come and go as He pleases? Am I willing to let go of these attachments to free myself of un-happiness and negative emotions and relinquish all power they have over me?
