The essence of love is the cross

3. “Love in Its Most Radical Form”

What, then, is the essence of love, that love which Christ first gave to us and which he in turn demands of us as his followers? “It is characteristic of a mature love that it calls into play all man’s potentialities; it engages the whole man, so to speak. Contact with the visible manifestations of God’s love can awaken within us a feeling of joy born of the experience of being loved. But this encounter also engages our will and our intellect. Acknowledgment of the living God is one path towards love, and the ‘yes’ of our will to his will unites our intellect, will and sentiments in the all-embracing act of love” (Deus Caritas Est, no. 17). As Pope John Paul the Great has phrased it so many times, true love is the gift of one’s entire self.

http://catholic.net/index.php?option=dedestaca&id=7833

 

A common topic my friends and I have had focuses on love.

The most phrased question that arises above all of them is this….

“What is true love?”

There’s a misconception that love is all about warm feeling inside and the hugging, kissing, and various other things that people associate love with when they open a “Hallmark” card.

However, love is not merely a feeling, it is a decision, it is an act of the will.

True love is placing the needs of others in front of thy own and wishing the best for them even if that excludes thyself.

This is true love. This is the type of love that is exemplified by Christ and the cross.

When one looks at the cross, many emotions can be brought about.

Sadness, despair, and other emotions associated with pain and suffering, but how many people think of love, thanksgiving, and rejoicing?

Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is a sad event, but it’s also a very joyful event.

Think of it? Christ loved us so much that he was willing to die for us so that we could have eternal life in heaven.

Jesus broke the bonds of original sin, allowing all peoples to have the opportunity to gain access into those pearly white gates!

He died for those before Him, those that were present with Him, and those that have yet to be born, people like you and me.

Jesus didn’t necessarily want to die on a cross for us, but He knew this was the way that had to be done, in order to win our salvation. 

Jesus made this decision not by emotion alone, but by His will.

His desire for our salvation was greater than His desire to live.

The Cross is truly the essence of love.

The source.

The foundation.

The entity.

This is the love that each of us must practice during our lives on earth.

To be self-sacrifcing for the betterment of others.

Now, doing this with friends and family is sometimes difficult.

Doing this with complete strangers is more difficult yet.

Doing this with those that we love seems nigh impossible.

But this is the love that keeps marriages together.

This is the love that fuels the relationship that man and woman have between each other.

However, before marriage, you must go through dating relationships.

Dating relationships are not always guaranteed to last, but in our hearts, humans have a tendency to not want to let go.

But, sometimes, the best things you can do is to let the person go. Let him or her receive freedom that they would have never had if they continued to be with you. Not to mention, the freedom you’ll experience by letting go. 

When one enters a dating relationship, they must have this in mind, that this dating relationship has the capability to not last forever. 

But remember this, when one dating relationship ends, another is bound to come your way when you’re ready. 

And this one will be even better for you.

Plus, think of this.

Maybe, this next relationship would not have happen if you had not have a previous relationship. 

Everything happens for a reason.

Everything is a stepping stone towards our betterment and ultimate fulfillment.

Yes, love is a feeling, but it is also a decision of the will.

True love hurts at first, but in the end will provide overflowing joy.

So now, whenever you find yourself in front of a cross or a crucifix, say to yourself, “The essence of love is the cross.”

 

 

I have Big Dreams!!!!!…….to do small things????

 

When I was in high school and during the beginning of my college career, I had big dreams. I’m a dreamer by nature and still to this day I have dreams. I guess you could say that I’m one of those guys that thinks up the idea and gives it to another person to put into action.

I can remember I had dreams of going into the Navy and traveling the entire Pacific. I had dreams of becoming an Olympic runner during the summer games. I had dreams of becoming a missionary and serving a native community somewhere in the south Pacific. I had dreams of living in Alaska, Asia, and South America. You name it, I had probably thought of it.

However, this year, my junior year in college, my dreams have changed. My dreams are still big, but not on paper.

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “We cannot do great things on this earth, only small things with great love.”

This simple quote has profound affect on my heart.

When I first heard this quote, I was like, “What? How can doing simple and small tasks and projects make a big difference? The only way to make a great difference is to accomplish huge and numerous goals.”

That was my thought process at the time. However, with age and maturity, I guess, I’ve come to the realization of what Mother Teresa was saying.

Yes, there are those that do great and tremendous things on this earth and many people hear about it, but there’s also those individuals that do a small thing like saying hi to someone and asking about their day. Depending on the individual, this small action of kindness could mean the world to them.

With every passing month, my desire to do small things with great love is increasing. When I return to campus this January, one thing that I’m going to focus on are the small things. For instance, academics are an important thing to me, but so are my friendships and experiences. Come spring semester, I plan to spend more time with my closest friends on campus. These guys help build me up and help me become a better person. These future experiences will be with me my entire life.

When people ask me what my plans are for the future, I have a few things to say, but nothing too far in the future nor out of the ordinary. However, the things I plan to do are going to make a world’s of difference in people’s lives.

My Future Dreams

• I want to teach Kindergarten at a Catholic school in a small to medium sized town. I want to teach the children not only their basic letters and numbers, but I want to teach them life lessons as well. Lessons like respect, compassion, work ethic, etc. I think Kindergarten is a good mix of school lessons and life lessons that will hopefully carry on in the students’ lives.
• I want to coach or assistant coach cross-country and wrestling. I love individual sports and I think these two sports are great sports for high school students. Both of these sports teach self-discipline and responsiblity. I don’t want to just coach my students on the sport, but I want to prepare them for the next stage in life, which is college. I want to teach them how to be a mature athlete who is accountable for their actions.
• I want to get married and raise a family. I want to be the best husband I can be for my wife and the best dad I can be for my children. I want to help my wife and kids get to heaven by living a moral and honest life.
• I want to live fairly close to my family and especially my parents. I also want to live fairly close to my wife’s family as well. I believe that family is an important thing in life and shouldn’t be at the bottom of the list. I want my children to be able to see their grandparents (on both sides) on a regular basis. I want to see my brothers and sisters more often than I do now.

Yep, these are my main dreams. Simple, yet containing a lot of potential to do what Mother Teresa lived and preached:

“To do small things with great love!”