The Smell of Love
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
April 1 – 2, 2023
Gospel: Matthew 27:11-54
Remember I told you last week that sin has a smell? Conversely, and more importantly, virtue has a smell. My old organization and the people I hung around with were smelly. It was nothing personal, but because of the situations we found ourselves in, that’s just how paratroopers were. We were away from soap and water unless it rained, and we got a shower from Mother Nature. So, paratroopers were a little more aromatic which most people found disgusting and would rather not be around. “Oh, my goodness!” It’s like Hospice . . . you get used to it. You know what that smell was? It was courage.
Love also has a smell. What does love smell like? If you meditate on the Gospels and the Passion of our Lord, love smells like blood. It also has a sound. It’s the sound of blood dripping from the Cross. Love has a smell, and it has a sound. You seek divine love today. In the consecration, the chalice is changed and holds the Precious Blood of Christ. It’s the same Blood that dripped and sanctified the Way of the Cross. It’s the same Blood that sanctified the Blessed Mother who was the first to be washed in His Blood at the foot of the Cross. And it’s the same Blood that fills the chalice. Christ, Himself, takes the chalice into the Confessional and anoints the soul and gives us absolution. We are washed in the Blood of Christ . . . the same Blood that was poured out for us at Calgary. Blood is the virtue of Divine Love. And it has a sight, a sound, and a smell.
How will you apply this message to your life? _______________________________________
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