St. Matthew Catholic Church

Weekly Message     

           Love: Our Way Vs. Choice

Dear brothers and sisters,   

     Love is four-dimensional! “Love with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.” With all your heart: “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” (Rom.5:5) All of your mind: You will keep him in your thoughts from your waking hours. All of your soul: You commit your soul to him in love. All of your strength: You must devote all your energy in sickness and health to loving Him. This reveals the totality of our devotion.

     Loving God is not a matter of partial commitment but includes all aspects of our being. Heart, soul, mind and strength represent our fullness - our emotions, spirit, and physical living. This is the foundational love that directs everything else. If we understand and are guided by it, we are not far from the kingdom of God. Our way!

     With understanding: you have intellectual sincerity and are anxious to learn more. You have moral integrity and asking the teacher with deep sincerity and respect. You are examining your faithfulness. Because of your sincerity, integrity, and faithfulness to God and to one another, you are NOT FAR from Him. Our choice!

     Once a woman was full of hatred toward her husband, someone counseled her to act as if she loved her husband, tell him how much he meant to her; be kind, considerate, and generous whenever possible. Then, when she’d fully convinced him of her undying love, she’d make her move and file for divorce. With revenge in her eyes, she said, "That’s perfect, I’ll do it." And so she did… but guess what happened… the more she demonstrated sacrificial love toward her husband, the more she began to actually love him, and at the end of a few months, divorce was the furthest thing from her mind. Our life!

     The love we have for oneself does grow within us when we put our love into action loving God and others. It’s not our choice; it’s our way to be closer to God.

  Blessings!

Msgr. Xavier                                        

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