Fr. Ed shared this beautiful quote by Ron Quinlan on the Catholic Exchange website during today’s Women of Grace live radio program.  It beautifully illustrates God’s deep and abiding love for us.  Happy St. Valentine’s Day! 

My Beloved Child,

Yes, you are my beloved child.  I know this is hard for you to believe.  You see all your mistakes and failures, all the times you lost your temper, all the times you’ve hurt people, all the times you stayed away from me.  You look at yourself and see your failures.

I look at you and see your beauty.  I see the love you’ve given to those you encountered in your life.  I see the times you tried to love others, all the times you’ve given of yourself.  I see a beautiful person struggling to become the person you were created to be.

There is a beauty and love deep inside of you.  Right now you may not see it but someday the whole world will look at you and see this rare beauty, someone very special and unique, a gift to the world — for you are my gift and my beloved child.

So often you’ve been afraid of me.  You run and try to hide, hoping that I won’t notice your mistakes.  So many hours you spend, doing everything you can to stay busy, too busy to think, to busy talk to me.  You run away from me but I long for your company.  I long to shower you with my love, to pour my blessings upon you.  I yearn to comfort and console you, to be there for you in your pain.  My desire is to take care of you.  My passion is for you to come to me, seeking me, to know and love me — for that is why I made you.

I want you to know that I know everything you ever done — and I love you with a passion so intense that human words can not describe it.  Your past is forgiven and forgotten.  I remember nothing you have confessed.  I passionately desire to forgive you everything.  All you have to do is repent and confess.

So come to me; come so that I may pour my blessings upon you.  There is so much I want to give you.  I want to do so much for you.  I want you to know my peace.  I want to set you free from the guilt that robs you of your joy; from the fear that plagues you; from the worry and anxiety that is tearing you apart.  I want you to know my joy, to know my freedom, to be secure in my love.

Come, now! There is nothing you have to change or do, no improvements you have to make before you come to me.  Come as you are.  I love you exactly as you are.  Just, come!