My dear friends, you might have come across such relationships where this quote comes true: “one who truly loves you will never abandon you”. These relationships are like Husband-Wife, Father-Mother, Brother-Sister and so on. When we look into the life of a husband and wife, we find true love among them. This true love bonding makes them parents and, of course, father and mother are the true and real examples of God’s Love. They love their children as their own flesh. They fulfil the possible desires of their children even forgetting their own. Even the worst parents fulfil their children’s desire as we see in Mt 7:11 “If you then, who are evil, know to give good gifts to your children”. But my question is: why do they do these things for their children. The simple answer is - because children become their life. This is the kind of love that is shown by parents to their children.

Above this, there is the greatest love which is unwavering and as strong as the rock and that’s God’s Love. We see in the book of prophet Isaiah 49:16 as it is written, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will never forget you.”

My dear friends, just a while ago, we heard that parents’ love is enormous but sometimes even this love is limited and conditioned. For example, we might have seen or heard that there are parents who leave their newborn babes on the streets or at the door of an orphanage. Likewise, there are children who push away their parents from their parents’ house or leave them in an old-age or shelter home. The children whom parents gave birth are not able to give a new life to their aged parents!

Now you may be wandering as to why such things do happen? In the beginning of new life or relationship, there is an intense love shown from both the sides but why does it gradually fade away? My dear friends, it is because human love is limited, conditioned and selfish. Though not always, it does often happen.

But when we talk about God’s love, there are no limitations and conditions because God is Love. Since God is love, there is an overflow gushing forth for the entire world. As we find the fulfilment of God’s love in Jn 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life”. So, Jesus is the fulfilment of God’s love and God continues his love in Jesus.

Now let us see the great bond of love between God, the Father and Jesus.

Firstly, the voice of the Father from heaven at the time of baptism in Mt 3:17 said, “This is my Son, the Beloved with whom I am well pleased.” Again, at the time of transfiguration in Mk 9:7 the voice said, “This is my son, the Beloved, listen to him.”

Secondly, from the mouth of Jesus in Jn 15:1 we hear, “I am the vine, and My Father is the Vine grower.” At the same time, Jesus connects us to the Father by saying in Jn 15:5, “I am the Vine, and you are the branches.” Finally, we can address God in Mt 6:9 in the Lord’s Prayer as ‘Our Father’. Since through Jesus we are made children of God, He will never abandon us because He has loved us with an everlasting love.