Wednesday after Epiphany
(I John 4:11-18; Mark 6:45-62)
St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that in this life we come closer to
God through love than through knowledge.
To approach God through love we should first recognize God’s selfless gift
of His Son and the Son’s gift of Himself for our sake. God’s love is perfect because it expects
nothing in return. Second, we must love
one another; that is, to seek the good of the other even if we have to forfeit
our own good.
Love makes us saints.
Recently it was announced that men who died as youths are to be
canonized this April. Carlo Acutis, an
Italian born in 1991, went to daily mass out of love for Christ. He talked about Christ in the Eucharist to practically
everyone he met until his death at fifteen years of age. Pier Giorgio Frassati, also an Italian, lived
a hundred years ago. He took an active
interest in helping the poor and inspired others to holiness both before and
after his death.
In our age many think of love as mutually satisfying desire
for pleasure. Love is not necessarily
devoid of pleasure, but it extends beyond that.
As our love approaches God’s selfless giving, pleasure is superseded by
joy which runs deeper and lasts longer.
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