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To love and be loved. This is the great mystery of our faith. We are created from God’s love and called to live in God’s love. What does it mean to love? What does it mean to be loved?
Our chatroom was filled with ponderings on this very topic. Learn about how love is an act, and not just a feeling. But as an act, it needs to be rooted in God, who is love. Ultimately, love is a profound responsibility as love is intended to bring Jesus Christ to others. As God’s ambassadors, we must take this call with sublime seriousness.
As you embrace this topic of love, take the time to pray for the grace to learn to radiate God’s love in your sphere of the world.
And check out our Living Jesus Chat Room of the Visitation Sisters. Each Sunday we read a passage of St. Francis de Sales and then gather great insights and sharing.
Sherry: The heart is the seat of love… we had a bit of this conversation last week already…
Visitation Sister: But it is a fact that most people identify the heart with love.
Sherry: The heart is where the will also resides, and so love is linked with our will, not just emotions. Love is something that goes out of us.
Visitation Sister: It is a choice to love.
Theresa: We were talking this past week about how choosing a “good” or bad love is key, yes.
Sherry: It truly is a choice to love.
Visitation Sister: But often one must have experienced love to understand it, at least that is what a friend of mine was telling me. To have been loved first is a reality with God’s love, but on a human level, sometimes certain ones have not been truly loved.
Sherry: I think love can be even scary in a way, when one has never experienced it. That said, I think by human nature we are inclined to lean into love when it presents itself. One of my most favorite verses is “We love because He has loved us first.” For some reason I did not understand this verse for so many years but now it has become one of my favorites
Theresa: Yes, but since we are love because we are created by God Who is Love, we are inclined to LOVE, right?
Sherry: Yes, Theresa that’s exactly how I see it too
Visitation Sister: Yes, I think so.
Theresa: However, due to sin, we don’t always choose the better love.
Sherry: Yes, so sad, but because we are made in HIS IMAGE — we can “understand” His love deep in our hearts.
Question: Why is it important to think of love as a way of life (actions and choices) instead of a feeling?
Visitation Sister: Jesus is the Way and He is Love
Sherry: Actions and choices founded on love – are leading away from us – we are becoming LOVE for the other… love based on feelings often leads us back to us
Eleanor: Feelings change but actions and choices let us show love. Even when we don’t feel like it.
Sherry: Feelings are also highly influenced by circumstances, could be a very wobbly love.
Sherry: Yes, Eleanor, that's what I meant.
Theresa: Love based on feelings can be fleeting and sometimes Love is choosing to do something we don’t necessarily feel like.
Sherry: Eleanor, is it you – who made the movie?
Visitation Sister: Yet fervor in love is important sometimes.
Sherry: I like the way it is worded: “love as a way of life.” It sounds like love is my default. Whereas love is often plan B… or sometimes plan K or Y
Visitation Sister: They will know we are Christians by our love…
Eleanor: When I experience the feelings of love I am feeling fulfilled with God.
Sherry: I would love to think at the end of my life… “love has become my way of life” that sounds so rich and meaningful… so Salesian.
Theresa: That’s beautiful, Sherry
Visitation Sister: Yes, I agree.
Eleanor: That is beautiful.
Visitation Sister: If love were truly our way of life, what a world of joy we could have.
Sherry: I think we would be full circle back to Eden in its first stages.
Rose: We can only learn to love when we follow the footsteps of Christ.
Visitation Sister: His love also brought disturbance to some and even Himself. But Love mastered all that.
Rose: Yes Sister. Amazing Love. Truly grateful.
Rebecca: Following Christ means sacrifice.
Sherry: Can you drink the cup????
Visitation Sister: But love-filled sacrifice.
Sherry: Sacrificial love is something I would have never even considered for a second without knowing Jesus.
Rose: Pondered giving up the cup but love prevailed.
Sherry: Aww, I love that Rose.
Eleanor: So true
Rebecca: We are priests by baptism; that also means sacrifice. Maybe that is why loving as God loves is scary!
Theresa: But soooo fulfilling! Because it touches our very nature
Rose: When one experiences suffering you begin to be like Christ.
Sherry: Can you explain Rebecca? Do you mean – because we do know that we have – in the end to become a sacrifice if we truly embrace this love. My whole being…. a sacrifice … not just some life areas.
Visitation Sister: How can we show love by our actions?
Eleanor: When you experience suffering and you unite that with Christ, you experience His Love.
Sherry: I love the moment at Mass with the prayer “… accept the sacrifice at your hands” …. I try to surrender my “me” there.
Rose: I believe loving is more of obedience to the Will than sacrificing.
Sherry: Yes, Rose, yes. Actually, our obedience envelopes the sacrifice. By obeying HIS will, I sacrifice my will, but because I know that His will is perfect, it is made easy, much easier.
Eleanor: True
Theresa: Because He knows what’s best for us.
Sherry: Yes, Theresa, and during the week we must hold on to that.
Theresa: So, in the end, our “sacrifice” is the best we can do for ourselves.
Sherry: Exactly. Isn’t it amazing how God finds even a way to redeem our sacrifice into eternal joy?
Rose: Choosing to follow His Will daily is love in action.
Question: How can we make sure our hearts are rooted in God’s love?
Theresa: By bringing Him into every moment of our lives.
Sherry: When God’s will becomes more important than our personal wellbeing. By that I mean comfort
Rose: When we detach ourselves from everything that separates us from Him.
Rose: Yes, Sherry.
Rebecca: Sounds to me, Sherry, that you and the others already understand what I mean.
Eleanor: When we pray.
Visitation Sister: Rooted is deep so we need to unite ourselves deeply to Him.
Theresa: When we are grateful for every outcome no matter if it is what WE wanted, as long as it’s His Will.
Visitation Sister: Through the wound of His Heart is one way.
Sherry: To be honest I am not sure if I am every fully “sure “that my heart is rooted in His love, but there are signs when I know that HE acts through me when I know that I am soaring on His love – when I simply know that He is now here, then I am most sure that my heart is rooted in His love.
Rose: When we enter into the Passion of Christ in prayer.
Rebecca: The tough part is to combine our sacrificial love with true prudence.
Visitation Sister: That's a good point. Not to overdo the sacrifice you mean?
Sherry: Hmmm can you bring an example Rebecca? Do you mean we could be “too spontaneous” with sacrificial love, Rebecca?
Rose: God wants obedience more than sacrifice.
Sherry: Sometimes it is hard not to be allowed to sacrifice in our life as we would like to.
Theresa: I remember Therese of Lisieux eating cake, out of obedience and as an act of love to God.
Sherry: I just found my new favorite Saint! But I do understand, Theresa is actually a great example.
Rose: We really need to discern when God gives us inspiration. We must also look at the circumstances we are in.
Sherry: And the same situation can require a very different behavior several years later… it is not the action itself what makes it a sacrifice, it is the obedience behind it
Theresa: Exactly.
Question: Why is it important to emphasize that love and devotion need to radiate beyond ourselves through mission, evangelization, and works of mercy?
Rose: Our faith must be love in action
Eleanor: When we show joy and love, we bring Jesus to others.
Rebecca: We are not called to put ourselves into unnecessary danger or to forego what is justly ours necessarily. E.g., what to do when a neighbor is cutting down trees on your property or building a new road across land you own without a word about it ahead of time or sleeping in your parked car. Circle the city with love! Do I bring the homeless person a warm quilt and breakfast? Invite him in? Call the police? One of the above?
Theresa: Well, they say, “You might be the only Bible someone reads today” …We are His hands, feet, ears, words.
Sherry: there are many great programs for young mothers… or programs to help families, so many ideas so much done but the life changing encounters in them I miss… the space where people can encounter GOD in these programs where these programs are prepared in prayer so – in reality there is much more happening, that crocheting baby blankets … or giving a meal.
Theresa: I agree, Sherry.
Eleanor: So true.
Visitation Sister: Do you mean programs vs individuals helping someone. Whatever the vehicle is, it is important because again we are following Jesus who did these things in His time and in His own way. The Holy Spirit will inspire us.
Theresa: I agree, Sherry, we recently went with my daughter to inquire to volunteer in a pregnancy center and we were told that no faith talk was allowed.
Sherry: That is so sad, Theresa
Rebecca: How sad, Theresa!
Theresa: I know.
Visitation Sister: Secular center, I suppose.
Theresa: Yes, Sr Susan.
Eleanor: I think God guides us to where He wants us to give love.
Theresa: I agree, Eleanor, that’s why being in Communion with Him is so important.
Sherry: I heard about a priest today who simply collected old canoes prepared them with his own hands over the winter and offered those to the youth in the summer in a little camp on a lake, there was soooo much love going into this so much prayer into the hours of repairing these canoes many lives were changed… with hardly any money needed that is the work of the Holy Spirit: LOVE IN ACTION
Sherry: I am a big fan of awakening the Holy Spirit in us and living our God-given Charisms. I always say God touches this world with our Spiritual Gifts. And this is the best love in action I find.
Eleanor: So true
Theresa: Yes
Rose: God puts us in a perfect spot to put our faith in action.
Visitation Sister: Sometimes the unobtrusive little helps we give to friends, neighbors or others we don’t even notice ourselves, but we are following Christ.
Sherry: That is how the life of religious can be so powerful. If someone has a genuine gift of prayer, these prayers are changing the world, although the person who prays has not touched the world itself, but the Spirit makes it happen.
Eleanor: I guess that’s the beauty of God in us.
Theresa: Well…doing every little action of the day with utmost love should do it…right…what an amazing challenge!
Rose: We ask ourselves what Christ would do if He was in my situation.
Sherry: So right, Theresa, our beautiful prayer of direction of intention helps us not just to do “great things with GOD” but “little things with great love”
Visitation Sister: And He is in your situation because He is in you.
Sherry: Good point, Sister
Eleanor: Yes.
Theresa: Yes, Sister
Rose: That’s a beautiful point, Sister.
Visitation Sister: There are times one acts without really thinking about it. I think that could be Jesus in the person.
Eleanor: He knows what each person needs, and He sometimes chooses us.
Question: Why do you think this encyclical was released at this time in history? Why an encyclical, and not an apostolic letter?
Visitation Sister: The encyclical Dilexit nos
Sherry: Encyclical has more legislative power.
Rose: There is a lack of love nowadays.
Sherry: It shows that the lack of love in the world is a serious problem that needs to be addressed now.
Rose: The Pope wants us to move now.
Theresa: And really opened up in all its meaning.
Eleanor: A need to understand True Love.
Sherry: The church has a tendency in our times now to be “self-serving” in the majority of members. The church was never intended to serve itself but to go outwards -- we need to go out in love. “Re-create the face of the earth.”
Eleanor: Yes, sounds exciting to recreate.
Sherry: I agree, Eleanor, it can be very exciting! Someone said earlier that “they know we are Christians by our love,” so very true
Rebecca: He sent his apostles two by two.
Sherry: and he commissioned us all in the end of the gospel of Matthew to go out – make disciples I think that is more than just Catechesis programs
Rebecca: Yes!
Theresa: Yes, a true-life commitment passed along to others by living it first.
Sherry: That’s an interesting way to say it, Theresa, but I like it.
Sherry: my first church in Austria was called “Evangelism in Action” which meant gospel in action.
Visitation Sister: If any of you read or have read the encyclical and think there is anything else we can share on it let me know. Or we can go to another topic. It is a very rich encyclical though.
Theresa: I will read it, Sister.
Visitation Sister: Have a blessed week! I need to go now!
Sherry: Have a blessed week too, Sister Susan! See you next Sunday!
Theresa: Blessings, Sister!
Eleanor: God Bless all.
If you enjoyed this article, why not join us at our Living Jesus Chat Room of the Visitation Sisters. Join us at 7:30 p.m. ET each Sunday! We read a passage of St. Francis de Sales and then gather great insights and sharing!
Kevin J. Banet is a journalist and publicist. He provides marketing for religious communities, non-profits and healthcare services. Kevin and his family live in the Chicago area. His website is VocationPromotion.com.
