Our Daily Reminders

For to live is to love,
And to love is to create.
Forgiveness is the act of
Making a new future.

—Ilia Delio, The Hours of the Universe

When someone asks can I see you tomorrow, I respond, “let me check my calendar, my daily reminder. Our calendars, our daily reminders, help us keep track of our commitments. A good friend from Canada sends me a calendar for Christmas featuring cats, not just one cat but two. As I contemplate the two cats together exploring what lies ahead, I am reminded of a story that Ilia Delio wrote in The Hours of the Universe.

She had adopted the two cats from a shelter. When she brought them home they were undernourished and weak. In no time, they were romping down the hall together chasing balls. It did not seem to matter which one got to the ball first. The shared fun was in the chase. When it came to sharing food, growls and snarls asserted possession and first rights.  There was no cooperation. There was only separation and polarization.

As far as I understand it, instincts give animals the ability to nourish and care for their own but also for others. However, this is not on the same level as humankind. We are born in the cosmos and are part of the cosmos, but we not only know. We know that we know. We can also reflect on past behaviors, whether such actions were inclusive or exclusive. We can deliberately choose to act in more inclusive ways.

Contemplating the Cross, we humans understand that we share the same flesh and blood that Jesus, Our Lord, so graciously shares with us. Christ, freely, out of love, loves us and forgives us, so we, following Christ, can love and forgive others. We can stop hissing and snarling at one another, asserting our own ego interests. With others, we can share together in creatively making our world a better place.

Throughout the day, allow each person we meet to be a reminder to love.