Those of you who know my parents well know that they are quite the wine connoisseurs. They both take the precautionary measures to better appreciate the wine--picking out the appropriate glass, swirling the wine to release the aromas, smelling the aromas, and taking small sips at first allowing the wine to hit all their taste buds. My dad can get into a lengthy conversation with just about anyone about the wineries they've been to, the new and delicious Pinot Noir he has stumbled upon, or his newest gadget that allows the wine enthusiast to receive optimal enjoyment. Having learned more about wine, traveled to wineries, tasted wines from all over the world, their palates are so much more sophisticated and they can distinguish good wine from bad. Having tasted perfection, they wouldn't settle for mediocre wine.
And I was thinking about this in relation to my faith life. I HAVE experienced perfect love. After learning how to pray, being educated on the beauty of the Catholic Church, placing myself in situations in which to richly feel God's love (such as retreats or Adoration), I have been blessed to experience the beauty of the love of our Father. And even beyond these things, I have tasted the perfection of love as manifested in the Body and Blood of Christ which I receive in the Eucharist. Having experienced God's love in such profound ways, I should never desire anything else. Having received the satiation of my thirst for happiness, joy, peace, and love through my relationship with God, why do I turn to things and people I know will never satisfy?
In the Gospel of John 10:10, Jesus says this beautiful statement to his disciples, "I have come that they might have life and have it to the full". Having experienced the fullness of life that Christ offers, why then do I turn to anything outside of him? Why do I constantly focus on what others think of me, on what I look like, on all the things I have to do, and on all that the world tells me I need to have? Why do I look anywhere beyond the eyes of Christ, whose love penetrates my very being and captivates me with intensity beyond imagination?
My parents, after having tasted perfection in wine, would not settle for anything less than the best. My prayer today is that each of us recognize that nothing else suffices and nothing else compares to Christ and his love. May we each ask the Holy Spirit to show us the ways in which we are looking for satisfaction outside of our relationship with God and may we, through the workings of this same Holy Spirit, find that only when our lives are bound to God do we find the perfection we seek.
very nicely put Megan! And I have experienced some of your parent's wine expertise, and they are very knowledgable! :)
ReplyDelete