Love gives us the reason to do every good work we accomplish. Love gives us the ability to bear every good fruit we produce. Saint Francis de Sales explains: “The good man is like a tree planted by the water-side that will bring forth its fruit in due season, because when a soul is watered with charity, it brings forth good works seasonably and with discretion.”
The Gospel teaches us that love is also the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:34-40). In this passage, the Pharisees ask Jesus which one of their more than six hundred laws is the most important. Jesus draws upon Deuteronomy 6:5 and responds, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38). He continues by referring to Leviticus 19:18 saying, “The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:39-40).
We are created to participate in two dimensions of this one great love. First, God sends down His infinite love to fill up our hearts. The Reverend Thomas à Kempis describes: “Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing stronger or higher or wider; nothing is more pleasant, nothing fuller, and nothing better in heaven or on earth, for love is born of God and cannot rest except in God, Who is above all created things.” We reciprocate by offering up all that we have, including our love for Him. Saint Augustine muses: “To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement.”
Second, we freely exchange love, perform good deeds, grant forgiveness, and live in harmony with our neighbors. Saint Paul reminds us to “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but [also] everyone for those of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).
Our cross of love is formed when our vertical love with God intersects with our horizontal love with each other. Just as the wooden beams of the crucifix must remain in balance to form a stable cross, so must our love stay balanced to be strong. And just as Jesus hangs on the center of the crucifix, so does he join divine love with human love. Jesus brings God to us as the Word Incarnate. Jesus brings us to God through his Passion, death, and resurrection. While hanging on that cross, he exhibits his unwavering love for both God and man and sets the ultimate example of how to love.
Because we are made for love, the commandments to love are revealed to help us flourish. God loves us because of who He is, not because of who we are. Saint John teaches us that “love is of God” and “God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). We are only able to give freely what we have received from God. Therefore, we are only able to give love because God loves us first (1 John 4:19).
Although God does not need our love, we need to love Him. When we love God above everything else, our passions and our lives are properly ordered. Our hearts are set ablaze with God’s love, and we are able to use our gifts as God intended. When we prioritize anything else over God, we lose our way. Our love becomes distorted, our lives lose their meaning, and our hearts are eventually left broken and empty.
More than just loving God with all of our heart, we are instructed to love Him with all of our soul and all of our mind. That means we can choose to participate in God’s love, or we can turn away from His invitation. “When people choose to withdraw far from a fire, the fire continues to give warmth, but they grow cold. When people choose to withdraw far from light, the light continues to be bright in itself but they are in darkness,” observes Saint Augustine. He warns, “This is also the case when people withdraw from God.”
This past Friday, we revisit the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7) which provides hope for anyone who has strayed from the light. This story illustrates the relentless love and mercy of our Good Shepherd, who values every single soul and joyfully pursues us despite our transgressions. Like the lost sheep brought back to the security and protection of the flock, the repentant sinner restores a right relationship with God. Our repentance is not solely a human effort. It is a cooperative response to God’s offer to return to Him. It bridges the gap from spiritual death to everlasting life. Every act of repentance is a victory over sin, a rescue from destruction, and a reaffirmation of God’s life-giving charity and power.
When we open our hearts to God’s love, that love transforms us. We are enabled to love others with the power of God’s love in the way that Jesus shows us. We begin to love what He loves by recognizing the inherent value of every person, created in His image (Genesis 1:27). We walk with others on their journey, sharing in their trials, forgiving their trespasses, and supporting their potential. Our love becomes active, welcoming, merciful, generous, genuine, enduring, and at times sacrificial. Meeting someone in need is like finding a hidden treasure, and loving others becomes our privilege. “Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us” (1 John 4:12).
Saint Augustine says, “Christ is not valued at all, unless he is valued above all.” This week, take inventory of your loves. What tops the list in your heart, soul, and mind? Do your actions reflect your priorities? Saint Vincent Ferrer gives us sage advice: “If you truly want to help the soul of your neighbor, you should approach God first with all your heart. Ask him simply to fill you with charity, the greatest of all virtues; with it you can accomplish what you desire.”
