The ultimate goal is give ourselves to God and our neighbor, out of love, out of a sense of what would please them and be good for them. This provides us with a hierarchy of values that enable us to discern when to say “yes” and when to say “no." The principle underlying these examples is always the same. It has to do with keeping God first in our lives, with loving him by finding and following his will for us. That is the true measure of love. Sometimes that path will be steep and painful, just like Christ’s path to Calvary. But even then, in the depths of our soul we will find a spiritual resonance, an interior peace and assurance that comes from the Holy Spirit. If we don’t, if we only find turbulence and confusion even in our hearts, it could actually be a sign that we are making a wrong turn, that we are operating out of vanity or pride instead of Christ-like love. How can we tell the difference? Usually it is clear. When it isn’t, we need to turn to God in prayer (and it’s much easier to do that if we have already developed a healthy prayer life), and get solid advice from someone we trust, like a spiritual director. And, like all things in the spiritual life, practice makes perfect: the more we engage in Christ-like love, the more easily we discern the real thing from its distracting counterfeits. Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited, it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offense or store up grievances. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the truth. It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. Love never comes to an end. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
Posted on: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 20:56:34 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015