God's Project of Love

In his 2021 homily for the first Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis said, “We must entrust ourselves to the Lord, to his goodness and to his project of love for each of us.”

The greatest sign of God’s project of love for humankind was God’s incarnation in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, who demonstrated God’s care for the ill, the poor, and the marginalized and God’s forgiveness even of those who crucified him.

Pope Francis seems to suggest, however, that God also has a project of love that is unique to each of us. Because God knows us so well, as Psalm 139 indicates, God is aware of the best ways to let us know we are loved, whether that is through a poem or song, a compliment from a family member, healing from an illness, or gifts of nature that lift our spirits and bring us peace. Each of us can unwittingly take part in God’s various projects of love through acts of encouragement and kindness to others.

Everyone has been honored with the invitation to live in God’s love, for Jesus said, “Dwell in me, and I will dwell in you” (Jn 15:4). Or, as writer Samuel Lover put it, “Come, live in my heart and pay no rent.”