Celebrating Love

Today in the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we celebrate love. We celebrate God’s unconditional love. God only and always loves.

Is there anything that I need to do first to merit God’s love? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We don’t earn or merit God’s unconditional love; He has loved us even before we were conceived in our mother’s womb, from the beginning of the universe, and even before this universe took shape. Alive or dead we belong to the Lord. We are His Beloved, no matter what. His love for me does not depend on my worthiness, or on my good works. He always and everywhere loves me, He loves me whatever condition I am in. Sinful or holy, just or unjust, good or bad, ugly or beautiful.

God loves us with an everlasting love. His faithful love never ends. His mercies never cease. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness. God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Such utterly free and gratuitous love is the only love that validates, transforms, and changes us at the deepest levels of consciousness. It is what we all desire and what we were created for. It is to show that every creature, every human person craves for love and communion. Even the physical structure of the universe is love. Once you allow it for yourself, you will almost naturally become a pipeline of the same love for others.

The more we receive His love, the more we are able to love. Once you can accept mercy, it is almost natural to hand it on to others. You become an instrument of what you yourself have received. I may not understand His unconditional love, but the more and more I experience His love, I am able to open my heart in love towards others. But if I don’t accept mercy and love, then I won’t be able to pass it on to others.

Love breaks all barriers; it is stronger than death, cruelty, violence, selfishness and sinfulness of humanity. Only in love I can understand that no one is perfect, no human enterprise is perfect. Only in love can I know that except for God, nothing is perfectly anything.

The dynamism that God is, is called Love. Love is the nature of God himself. God is Love. And interestingly, the dynamism that unites us together is also called love. We humans become capable of truly loving, only because God’s love has poured into our hearts.

Divine love is the template and model for all human love, and human love is the necessary school and preparation for any God-encounter. If you have never experienced human love, it will be very hard for you to access God as Love. If you have never let God love you, you will not know how to love humanly in the deepest way. Of course, grace can overcome both of these limitations.

We as imperfect persons can accept love and also give love to others. In facing the contradictions that we ourselves are, we are able to accept others as they are. That’s how I am able to forgive others, and also love my enemies.