So what about Families? How are we to love one another when the "other" who we are supposed love is so darn unloveable all the time? Ah, this is a lamentation many have uttered in thier life and the same point is overlooked by all(including myself). The love we profess as catholic christians has it's source in Christ Jesus our Lord. we cannot love rightly if we depend on ourselves for the inspiration. As illustrated with the above question, we, when left to ourselves, will only see the unloveable in a person. It is not entirely our fault. Our corrupted human nature plays a part, however, before we can claim this as an excuse to yell at Aunt Maggie May for leaving her teeth in the sink FOR THE FIFTIETH TIME THIS WEEK, we must remember that we, who have been Baptized, Confirmed, Forgiven and strenghtened by the Eucharist are called to A HIGHER FORM OF LOVE. In the sermon on the mount(Matt 5-7) specifically in Chapter 5:43-48, we hear the very difficult teaching of our Lord on Love of Enemies. In ALL the Gospels we see the teaching of our Lord made Flesh. In the crucifixion we see just how far we are to go, just how much we are to love, just how much we are to sacrifice for those who love us and for those who do not love us. Remember, Jesus died for us while we were still sinners, not after we were sanctified. While He hung upon the cross He was not comforted by kisses and embraces(except that of Our Lady, Mary magdelen and St. John)but by hate filled words and mockings. Yet He still loved us, He did not smite us with His power, He loved us with everything He is.
Love your enemies...it's hard enough to love my wife. Yet, inspired by God's love i must decrease, He must increase, and HE living in and through me will grant me the fortitude to love, respect, honor and devote my life to her.All husbands need to do the same...not just to keep the wife happy! We need to do this becuase First, It is what SHE deserves. She is a person created by God, unique and unrepeatable. Imagine you had a Babe Ruth rookie card. Good, now imagine you had the ONLY one in the world. Great, your wife's toenails are more imporatant than that! Make sure you treat her that way. I'm not talking about gifts and wine and candy. That helps but i could buy wine for a neighbor. I'm talking about giving her the one thing you can't give to Mrs. Johnson down the block...Yourself. Everything you are. Your attention, your trust, your dreams, your hopes, your desires, your fears, your failings, your weakness, your devotion, your tears, your body and even your fertility. HOLD NOTHING BACK!!!! Give into love and love will give you eternity! Secondly, we do this becuase we vowed to on our wedding day. We vowed to love her, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse till death parts us. These vows mean everything to her and to God, make sure they mean everything to you. Do what you said you would, love her the way you vowed you would. Be the man she married that day. On my wedding day i was knocked silly by the beauty of my wife. I was amazed at how great she looked, her smile, her smell, her walk, the way she talked, her hair, the way she said my name, everything she did was an endless cause of joy for me. WHY DO I NOT FEEL THAT NOW? SHE is the same woman. i must remember how i felt that day and endevour,NO, i must fight to love her that way everyday. That day i would have done anything for her, even died for her, yet the one thing i promised to do, live for her, is the one thing i fail at everyday. Yet she still loves me. despite my failings she loves me. This alone should give me the desire to love her the way she deserves to be loved. i must fight for her. the enemy sadly enough is my own laziness, sloth and pride. I must slay myself so i might allow christ to dwell within, so finally, as i promised, before God, i might love her faithfully, fruitfully, freely and totally.
Love. Love is a word so often misused. However if you ever need to kmow what true loves is, what true love means, what true love requires of you, look upon the crucified flesh of the lover of your soul. If you gaze into His eyes and listen carefully, you'll hear ever so gently, Jesus Christ, God made Man whisper into your heart..."I Love You this much."
Love your enemies...it's hard enough to love my wife. Yet, inspired by God's love i must decrease, He must increase, and HE living in and through me will grant me the fortitude to love, respect, honor and devote my life to her.All husbands need to do the same...not just to keep the wife happy! We need to do this becuase First, It is what SHE deserves. She is a person created by God, unique and unrepeatable. Imagine you had a Babe Ruth rookie card. Good, now imagine you had the ONLY one in the world. Great, your wife's toenails are more imporatant than that! Make sure you treat her that way. I'm not talking about gifts and wine and candy. That helps but i could buy wine for a neighbor. I'm talking about giving her the one thing you can't give to Mrs. Johnson down the block...Yourself. Everything you are. Your attention, your trust, your dreams, your hopes, your desires, your fears, your failings, your weakness, your devotion, your tears, your body and even your fertility. HOLD NOTHING BACK!!!! Give into love and love will give you eternity! Secondly, we do this becuase we vowed to on our wedding day. We vowed to love her, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse till death parts us. These vows mean everything to her and to God, make sure they mean everything to you. Do what you said you would, love her the way you vowed you would. Be the man she married that day. On my wedding day i was knocked silly by the beauty of my wife. I was amazed at how great she looked, her smile, her smell, her walk, the way she talked, her hair, the way she said my name, everything she did was an endless cause of joy for me. WHY DO I NOT FEEL THAT NOW? SHE is the same woman. i must remember how i felt that day and endevour,NO, i must fight to love her that way everyday. That day i would have done anything for her, even died for her, yet the one thing i promised to do, live for her, is the one thing i fail at everyday. Yet she still loves me. despite my failings she loves me. This alone should give me the desire to love her the way she deserves to be loved. i must fight for her. the enemy sadly enough is my own laziness, sloth and pride. I must slay myself so i might allow christ to dwell within, so finally, as i promised, before God, i might love her faithfully, fruitfully, freely and totally.
Love. Love is a word so often misused. However if you ever need to kmow what true loves is, what true love means, what true love requires of you, look upon the crucified flesh of the lover of your soul. If you gaze into His eyes and listen carefully, you'll hear ever so gently, Jesus Christ, God made Man whisper into your heart..."I Love You this much."
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