“Love Is a Many Splendid Thing!”
Another I AM a Catholic Lesson
By Patrick Miron
My fear friends in Christ,
Allow me to being this discourse with two definitions:
Definition of like
To enjoy (something) : to get pleasure from (something)
To regard (something) in a favorable way
To feel affection for (someone) : to enjoy being with (someone)
Definition of love
1a (1): strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties <maternallove for a child> (2): attraction based on sexual desire: affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests<love for his old schoolmates>b : an assurance of affection <give her my love>
2: warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion <love of the sea>
3a: the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration <baseball was his first love>b (1): a beloved person: darling —often used as a term of endearment (2) British—used as an informal term of address
4a: unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1): the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2): brotherly concern for others b: a person’s adoration of God
Matthew 5: 43-48
[43] “You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
[44] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
[45] so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
[46] For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
[47] And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
[48] You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
1 John 2: 7-8 [7] Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.[8] Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining”
The precise reason for humanities existence can be described in six-letters, and in two words. “TO LOVE”
In these two words, in the very fullness of their meaning and possibility is encased the totality of human existence. Indeed, in the entire Universe with its Billions of planets, stars and galaxies only one thing; only MAN, is able to love and, or hate, and only man can rationalize. That dear friend is a thought worth pondering.
Love is an emotion, and emotions are the passageway for Satan to gain entry into our lives. The key to emotions in not only the outside influences that prompt them; but our ability to embrace or reject that prompting.
For example: the Catholic Church has long taught that we {all of us} are to “Love the sinner BUT hate the sin.”
“To be a member of God’s family is to live in {full} accord with God’s values” from the Little Black book: 02/20/2016
To live according to God’s values requires firstly that we know what those “values” are and what they embrace. Charity; another word for “love” begins at home and ends at home. “Home” meaning here our inner-most-selves.” So the “Golden Rule”, found in Matthew 7: 12 “So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” … & Luke 6:31“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Sum up in a broad sense how each of us is to define for ourselves, what we are obligated to do in order to actually be members of God’s families.
Because the only bible that most people read is how we live our life’s as testimony to being obviously; members of God’s family.
This then demands that we know God’s Commandments, and God’s Moral teachings and Laws as taught by His Catholic Church, embrace them, accept and support them, and then demonstrate them consistency through our life choices.
1Pet.1 Verses 15 to 16 “[15] but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; [16] since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Matt.5 Verses 43 to 48 “[43] “You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ [44] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [47] And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? [48] You, therefore, must be perfect, as you’re heavenly Father is perfect.”
One of my personal obligations as a Marian Catechist is to among other pious practices; to pray the Stations of the Cross every day. I do this with the help of Father John Hardon’s Catholic Prayer book. Here, from that book is the Fifth Station…”Simon the Cyrenian” is conscripted {forced} to help Jesus carry his Cross.
“Jesus is order to teach us that the cross ought to be carried both by the Redeemer and the redeemed, wished to share His cross with Simon the Cyrenian.
I wish to constrain Jesus to carry my cross with me, directing all of my efforts that I may be united with Him: united in intellect by making all of His decisions mine; united in will and action, by allowing Jesus to work in and through me. May Jesus become the soul of my soul, the life of my life, since He is the head, I, the member; since He is the vine, and I, the branch. The consummation of this union takes place every day at the Communion of the Mass.”
Man’s exclusivity as the only thing in existence in the Created Universe and on Planet Earth with the ability to love, or hate and to rationalize, need to understand that with authority comes obligations. God will, because God must judge us not on our choices alone; but on what God makes possible for us to know as His right choices; make willingly and correctly.
Forgiveness begins with forgiving ourselves. There is no time like the present to begin striving to be a “perfect lover.” That my friend is our lives’ goal.
We exist for a precise reason: to Discover God in our livers and then to permit that God to act in, with and through us. This takes humility. It takes courage and it takes Faith. Love is not truly LOVE if we don’t share it.
LOVE much my friends, pray much and have Faith, have Hope and have Charity. Amen!
Continued Blessings,
Patrick
On God's Payroll 