The first reading is focused around one word, to understand. To understand is a dynamic dimension of our life. We never fully understand anything and therefore it must constantly grow. It grows by the capacity to see and to hear and then to understand. But then it must grow more deeply therefore it entails a bit of humility, to say the least, in order to get past the obstacles of our own levels of security, comfort, and especially what we think is good. So only humility will expand our understanding and then with it the expansion of our whole soul because the Lord wants us to share the fullness of life so that Benedict says if you really persevere in the monastery rightly, your heart expands and you run the way of God= s commandments. Then the gospel tells us that there= s a reward coming that is somewhat here and not yet here.

I think it can be summarized in one gospel passage and I wonder what we really do with it. Jesus said and especially to people who are consecrated: A As the Father loves me, I love you.@ What do you do with this? As the Father loves me, I love you. Not past tense, it= s the present. How does the Father love the Son? With his whole divine being. With his infinite goodness. With this tremendous happiness, power, wisdom, and etc., he holds nothing back. And this is the way Jesus loves us who are consecrated to him. So what do you do with this? Do you say Jesus; I thank you for loving me so much? Do you say, I thank you for loving me so much as a friend? Do you say, I thank you so much for loving me to the point of dying on the cross and winning my salvation? Do you say, I thank you Jesus for taking me seriously? You= re the only person in the universe that takes me seriously. Above all what do you say about this? Do you say give me the grace to take seriously the love you have for me?