Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only-begotten Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. (1 Jn 4:7-10)
Love. That is such a bantered-about word, is it not?
Love. It brings to mind young people smitten by their first crushes.
Love. It brings to mind images of self-sacrifice.
Love. It brings to mind thoughts of dedication and commitment.
Love. It brings to mind those who use it to control others.
Love. It is a multi-faceted word that sometimes means love while others times means lust or control or some other word that is far from love. We must understand what we mean by the word “love” before we can go any further.
We are reminded today that love is of God. It is a holy and pure reality. Love is serving, not self-serving. Love is freeing, not controlling. Love, truly, is of God.
God loved us so much that He gave to us His only begotten Son. His Son loved us so much that He gave His life for us on the cross. As God has done, so He now asks of us. We are to be people who freely give ourselves to other, without expectation of anything in return.
When we see someone in need, we are to come to their aid. When we see someone lonely, we are to befriend them. When we see someone hurting, we are to comfort them. When we see . . . we must provide.
That is very difficult for so many of us to do because we realize that God wants us to love everyone and not just the immediate circle of people we like. Our love is to be as complete, as total, as God’s love.
There is no way that we can love like that, at least not without God’s help. Therefore, we call upon God this day, asking Him to give us the grace to love as He loves. Let us truly love one another because love is of God.
FAITH ACTION: Determine how you can best show your love for others today. Do not forget those who are in need.