This prayer is one that I always like to repost when facilitating a series about the love of God. Recognizing the depth of God’s love as it is expressed in the story of Jesus as he plays with kids, celebrates with friends and weeps over the broken, falling in love with this God whose love has no limits, really does change everything in a way that totally transforms our lives. And it very definitely transforms hate into love.
The prayer is attributed to Father Pedro Arrupe (1903- 1991) from the Basque region of Spain who became the 28th Superior General of the Society of Jesus. I was first given this prayer on a card several years ago but have recently also come across it on Ignatian Spirituality.com
Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is,
than falling in love in a quite absolute final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination,
will affect everything.
It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekend,
what you read, who you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in love,
stay in love,
and it will decide everything.