Love is Divine

Dear Faith Family,

Any decent human being knows that it is important to care for others. We have heard it so many times, that if we were to treat others in a different way, we would feel guilty about it. We are indeed called to love our neighbor. We are made in God’s image, therefore, we are made to love.

What does it mean to love, though? While it is in our nature to love, sometimes it is difficult to articulate what it actually means to love. Pope Benedict explained the nature of love when he said, “Love is ‘divine,’ because it comes from God and unites us to God.” To give a further explanation, St. Thomas Aquinas states that love is simply to will the good of another. If we take these two quotes from two brilliant people, we can come to the conclusion that God is love, and we have the ability to love because we are made in God’s image.

With all that said, love shows itself in unique ways. I think it is intended to be that way. The idea of loving someone is not a one­size­fits­all situation, but rather, it is through our creativity and nature that we show ways to love.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives a new commandment, to love one another. He takes it further and explains that this is how people know that you are disciples. Our parish motto is, “Encounter Jesus, Be Disciples.” It’s quite a simple statement, but it is important that this must be driven by love. Without love, discipleship is meaningless and self­-serving.
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I’m not naïve enough to say that loving others is difficult; our Lord even gives a bigger challenge in scripture when he proclaims that we should love our enemies as well as our neighbor. The Apostles themselves were afraid to go convert the masses before the Holy Spirit descended upon them. It’s difficult, but the endeavor is vastly important.

If you find yourself in a difficult position where it is difficult to love, remember that through God, our discipleship becomes perfect. When we find ourselves unable to love, let us pray to our God to aid us. It is through Him, and Him alone that we are perfect.

​God Bless,

Brett Becker
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Youth and Young Adult Minister 

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