God gave us the best — and original — love letter (the Bible), as well as instructions (Ten Commandments) and companion manual (Catechism). He knows love because he is love.
As St. Paul wrote in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The Little Flower wrote of how loving God helps us love others: “I can see with joy that in loving him the heart expands and can give to those who are dear to it incomparably more tenderness than if it had concentrated upon one egotistical and unfruitful love.”
“The proof of love is in the works,” noted Pope St. Gregory the Great. “Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.”
And one of my favorite saints, the patron of journalists, Francis de Sales, rightly observed: “You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working, and just so, you learn to love by loving.”
And Pope Benedict XVI gets to the heart of love in his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love): “Love of neighbor is thus shown to be possible in the way proclaimed by the Bible, by Jesus. It consists in the very fact that, in God and with God, I love even the person whom I do not like or even know. This can only take place on the basis of an intimate encounter with God, an encounter which has become a communion of will, even affecting my feelings. Then I learn to look on this other person not simply with my eyes and my feelings, but from the perspective of Jesus Christ. His friend is my friend. Going beyond exterior appearances, I perceive in others an interior desire for a sign of love, of concern. … Seeing with the eyes of Christ, I can give to others much more than their outward necessities; I can give them the look of love which they crave.”
Good things to reflect upon on Valentine’s Day.
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Excellent, really.
Amy, I “love” your first paragraph. And I wish this would be taught from each pulpit. But I guess some Bishops and their Staffs are too busy being political activists in Federal and State arenas. Seminaries, Convents, all Catholic Universities, must use the “CCC 2nd Ed” as a STUDENT TEXT to be fully informed.
The “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” - is the only catechism from the Magisterium.
Let us reorder on the Biblical revelation of Civil Laws: one of the category under civil Laws (Love,, Humanity, Charity) one of the precepts ( Love, Humanity, Charity) is The Christian Law of Love . Biblical Theology revealed in the letter to the Ephesians 4:31-32. ” Let all bitterness, wrath, and anger , and clamor , and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another , tenderhearted , forgiving one another ,even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”. The new life of live, All the counsels of this section of this Epistle concern one’s life within the community and those social responsibility which contribute to the integrity and stability of the community’s life: truthfulness (Ephesians4:25) , forgiveness ( Ephesians 4:26,32) ,honesty and philanthropy ( Ephesians 4:28) , and edifying speech ( Ephesian 4:29,31) Even more significant is the basis on which these exhortations are founded: the character of Hod and
What he himself has done for men. For we are members one of another ( Ephesians4:25) alludes to the doctrine of the Church as Christ’s body. In Ephesians 4:32b-5:2 the reality of Hod’s love, bestowed in Christ’s , forgiving men ( cross reference ( Crosss referenc Ephesians 1:7) and caring for them as a Fathet ( cross reference Ephesians 1:5,2:18,3:14-19) , is reaffirmed. The new life , then , is a life of love, modeled after God’s love revealed in Christ’s sacrificial death or us. There is no full doctrin of atonement in Ephesians ...... and Christ’s death is not a central theological concept for this author. ( see Ephesian 1:7-8) It is enough for him to know that Christ’s death has somehow made the Church one ( Ephesian 2:14-16) and that the lov thus revealed and bestow should form the substance of the church ‘s interior life.
Love is one of the precious promises of the bible : Biblical revelation : ( psalm 89:33) Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him , nor suffer my faithfulness to fail , ( Jeremiah 31:3) Yea , I have lived thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee . ( 1John) If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. ( commentary)
Moral Philosophy , love as precept for character building : Love is the greatest gift of life. it takes the form of affection toward any object ; of the desire to promote happiness ; of abstaining from any thing of an injurious nature; of doing all one may to promote the comfort , interest or welfare of others, whether they are indifferent or appreciate.
God had revealed himself to man, making known to him his attributes and his sovereign will. God is Love , is one of the attributes of God as a Person ( 1 John 4:8,16) He that liveth not, knoweth not God ; for God is Live. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. god is love ; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
cathechism of the catholic church ( section on Ten Comnandments) #2055
A deeper reflection on Pope Benedict Encyclical ( God is Love) ” Deus Catitas Est ”
Refelect on Historical Digest ( Love Feast) ” They were held in connection with the Lor d’s Supper .2 Peter :13, Jude1:13;
1 Corinthian 11:20-22
For young People, we can help them reflect on Jesus teaching on the Sermon on the Monunt , one part of his sermon was on God’s Love. ” He that Loveth not, knoweth not God, for Hod is Love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son intonthe world , that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God , but that he lived us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved , If God so loved us , we ought also to love one another ( 1John4:8-11) Paul in Praise of Live ( 1Coribthian13:1-13)
Love : Man to God And Christ ( psalm 18:1) I - Will - Love Thee , O Lord ( Jehovah) , my strength.
Love of God ( Jeremiah 31:3) Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee, ( Roman 5:8) God commandeth his ( own) love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us : Love one to another ( loyalty) Ezra 7:26 ” And whosoever will not do the law of thy God , and the law of the king , let judgment be executed - speedily - upon him ( with all diligence) ,whether it be unto death , or to banishment , or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment
Peace to all during this Lenten Season
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