Romans 13: 8-14

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

     St. Paul explains to the Christian Community in Rome, which is composed of both Gentile and Jewish converts, that following the law is relevant to their faith. But there is a need to look beyond technically following the law. The need is to focus on loving one another, as Jesus commanded. For when people love one another, behave towards each other with courtesy, respect, acceptance, encouragement, and self-respect, they are fulfilling the law given to the people by Moses.
      I love to play Spider Solitaire on the computer. Until recently, my goal was to use the least possible moves to win a game. I was focused on the score itself. Then my focus changed to the percentage of games I could win. I started paying attention to the statistics and quit worrying about how many moves it took to win the game. My experience of the game has changed. And surprisingly, I win the game more often now than I used to.
    The similarity between my story and St. Paul’s admonition is about shifting the focus from the details to the essential purpose.

Joy and Sorrow

It's an interesting experience to be full of joy and simultaneously weighed down by deep melancholy.  It's both interesting and dreadful.  It's the reality of living with a chronic mild depression - diagnosed as Dysthymia - also known as neurosis. 

Yesterday while I was at church I was experiencing that beautiful sense of union with God, the Eucharist, and the congregation.  I am so grateful to be serving at my church, and I was feeling that gratitude at the deepest level.  What a wonderful way to celebrate our Lord's resurrection.  Yet, every now and then, for a few seconds each time, I would be pulled down into the mudhole of sorrow and melancholy.  Crap!  How can I feel both at the same time?