What is Love?
“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 John 4:10
It is God who has first loved us, and any loving we give back or give to others is our response to the gift of God’s love. In others word, God’s love is the First Love, and He is Love itself. St. John tells us that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son so that we might be saved from our sins. Love leads to action and oftentimes that action leads to sacrifice, but it doesn’t end there. Because sacrifice leads to life.
As Christians, as people who have come to receive God’s love, how has our response been? Have our lives been indicative of receiving such love? Do our words and actions bring others to God and God to others? How do we handle the difficulties of life? Do we give up or do we embrace the challenges and unite our suffering with Jesus’ suffering on the Cross? Mother Teresa often said that when we are truly loving, it will hurt, but this hurt then transforms into love. Perhaps that is what kept Our Lord going as He suffered to the Cross and on the Cross. He loved us so much that He was willing to suffer and die, and this suffering and this death on the Cross became the greatest expression of Love and the means of our salvation.
So, what is love? Love is doing and wanting what is good for others, even if it costs us something. But some may say why would you do something for someone, and maybe someone you don’t even know that well, even if it means you might lose something? We love and do such things because that is what God did for us. We do so also because when we are so filled with and moved by love there is nothing that we would want to do more than to love, even if it means sacrifice. When we think about it, really, when we truly do something out of love for someone, there will always be some element of sacrifice. We can see this little sacrifice as our offering to the Lord on the Cross. Our little sacrifice is the fruit of our carrying of the cross, and Jesus promised that whoever carries his cross and follows Him will have eternal life.
So, brothers and sisters, don’t be afraid to receive God’s love and don’t be afraid to love others with this love because what comes out of it is life and love. Today may we embrace the First Love and allow Him to use us to bring this Love to others.
from The Crucifixion, c. 1450, Dreux Budé Master
