Divine Appeal Reflection - 81
Today, consider in Divine Appeal 81: "Many souls think that love consists in saying ‘Lord I love you’. Not this way. Love is good and it begets because I love. Keep My love in pain, in rest, in prayer, in comfort, as in distress. If souls would really understand My love they would be able to follow My path of truth and justice."
It imparts in us the urge to come close to the wellspring of all love, Jesus Himself, and to let His love flow into every part of our being. "Many souls think that love consists in saying ‘Lord I love you’. Not this way." These words echo the sentiment expressed by St. James in his epistle, where he emphasizes that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Love is not simply a verb that is expressed in words, but it is shown in actions reflecting a heart’s commitment to Jesus and to our neighbors. "Love is good and it begets because I love." This is a representation of Jesus' essence, which is love (1 John 4:8). Love flows from the very essence of Jesus and is poured out into the hearts of believers through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). In receiving the love of Jesus, we become all the more capable of loving others as well as being an earnest witness of the transforming grace that is His. "Keep My love in pain, in rest, in prayer, in comfort, as in distress." This injunction from Jesus mirrors St. Paul's exhortation to the Corinthians regarding the nature of love: "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Corinthians 13:7). True love is undisputed and steadfast until the end, even when the trials and tribulations of life come along, looking for solace and aid from Jesus through prayer.
Such a mode of living is reflective of love in action, where daily crosses are accepted joyfully for the salvation of sinners. Just as Christ embraced the cross for the redemption of humanity, we are called to unite our sufferings with His for the sake of others (Colossians 1:24). We participate in the work of salvation and show love for Jesus and our neighbor when we take our crosses joyfully and offer them up in union with Jesus' sacrifice. Loving infinitely every day just as if it were the last day we live, and giving the highest love to Jesus in all conditions, is a powerful way of honoring Him and growing together with Him. It reminds us to live life in a very intentional way, starting with loving one another, giving a hand to the needy, and anything in between. A very encouraging instance is that of Sr. Anna Ali who dedicated all her life to loving Our Adorable Jesus. She constantly spent time in prayer, adoration, and putting into practice the love of Jesus in her encounters with other people. May the Holy Spirit fill us with power to fulfill Jesus' Appeal to love in action and that our lives prove to be a clear manifestation that love lived with authenticity and honest commitment can influence hearts, cure souls, and ultimately be the stepping stone to God's kingdom of justice and peace.
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