Jesus encourages us in Sunday’s Gospel.

Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid.

God loves each of us down to the tiniest detail! God’s is infinite, so he has an infinite amount of time and space for each person on earth, and above, and under the earth.

Here is a corollary to that reality. It concerns our ability to receive the love of God. Each human being is created to be a dwelling place for God and his love. We can never be truly human unless the greatest value in each of our lives is to receive the love of God and give it to the people around us.

I realize that our culture would never buy such a proposition. On television we see people seeking ease, beauty, convenience, pleasure and so on. Quite often, on cable and broadcast channels, one could conclude that the human person is made for one purpose only: comfort, and especially sex.

Someone has said that commercials, without realizing it, are built to encourage the seven Capital Sins (pride, gluttony, avarice, lust, sloth, envy and anger).*

We human beings get attached to many things and mesmerized by them. But if each of us is created to be a place where God and his love can dwell, then any other fascination we have should be indulged only in proportion to this reality, and put aside if it begins to take over God’s place. If I am attached to wealth, or my stamp collection, or my good looks, or drugs, or even my mate—in a way that makes God’s love take second (or third or fiftieth) place—then my life is disordered and I am headed for a fall.

That is the corollary. How do you react to it?

You mean I am to love God only and not care about my friends, my family, music, sports, food, health, etc.? Not care about anything except God?

Not at all. Healthy love of all these things has its roots in love of God. All things get their own individual value from God’s indwelling. Each person, each blade of grass receives its full value of love because it proceeds from God’s gentle hand.

But I can hear the reader saying right now that this is much too difficult. So many things get in the way. Have a look through your life and see how often you forget God, who is your source. Peter, for his part, remembered that he had actually deserted Jesus at least three times and he said “Leave me, Lord, I am a sinful man.” How many times have you and I needed to say the same thing?

Are you saying that maybe this corollary really applies just to people who never sin?

Not at all. God has said throughout the ages, “If you sin, I will love you. I will not leave you.” The cross of Jesus is the ultimate statement of that truth. God’s love remains constant and precious in spite of the rampant sin in all of us and in each of us. His love will help us get closer to the goal.

Rejoice. No matter how many hairs you have on your head, God’s love does not go away.

Just receive it.