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Love is sufficient of itself, it gives pleasure by itself and because of itself. It is its own merit, its own reward. Love looks for no cause outside itself, no effect beyond itself. Its profit lies in its practice. I love because I love, I love that I may love. Love is a great thing so long as it continually returns to its fountainhead, flows back to its source, always drawing from there the water which constantly replenishes it. Of all the movements, sensations and feelings of the soul, love is the only one in which the creature can respond to the Creator and make some sort of similar return however unequal though it be. For when God loves, all he desires is to be loved in return; the sole purpose of his love is to be loved, in the knowledge that those who love him are made happy by their love of him. The Bridegroom’s love, or rather the love which is the Bridegroom, asks in return nothing but faithful love. Let the beloved, then, love in return. Should not a bride love, and above all, Love’s bride? Could it be that Love not be loved? Rightly then does she give up all other feelings and give herself wholly to love alone; in giving love back, all she can do is to respond to love. And when she has poured out her whole being in love, what is that in comparison with the unceasing torrent of that original source? Clearly, lover and Love, soul and Word, bride and Bridegroom, creature and Creator do not flow with the same volume; one might as well equate a thirsty man with the fountain. What then of the bride’s hope, her aching desire, her passionate love, her confident assurance? Is all this to wilt just because she cannot match stride for stride with her giant, any more than she can vie with honey for sweetness, rival the lamb for gentleness, show herself as white as the lily, burn as bright as the sun, be equal in love with him who is Love? No. It is true that the creature loves less because she is less. But if she loves with her whole being, nothing is lacking where everything is given. To love so ardently then is to share the marriage bond; she cannot love so much and not be totally loved, and it is in the perfect union of two hearts that complete and total marriage consists. Or are we to doubt that the soul is loved by the Word first and with a greater love? From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot Man should be like the earth and bear fruit; he should not let inanimate matter appear to surpass him. The earth bears crops for your benefit, not for its own, but when you give to the poor, you are bearing fruit which you will gather in for yourself, since the reward for good deeds goes to those who perform them. Give to a hungry man, and what you give becomes yours, and indeed it returns to you with interest. As the sower profits from wheat that falls onto the ground, so will you profit greatly in the world to come from the bread that you place before a hungry man. Your husbandry must be the sowing of heavenly seed: Sow integrity for yourselves, says Scripture. You are going to leave your money behind you here whether you wish to or not. On the other hand, you will take with you to the Lord the honor that you have won through good works. In the presence of the universal judge, all the people will surround you, acclaim you as a public benefactor, and tell of your generosity and kindness. Do you not see how people throw away their wealth on theatrical performances, boxing contests, mimes and fights between men and wild beasts, which are sickening to see, and all for the sake of fleeting honor and popular applause? If you are miserly with your money, how can you expect any similar honor? Your reward for the right use of the things in this world will be everlasting glory, a crown of righteousness, and the kingdom of heaven; God will welcome you, the angels will praise you, all men who have existed since the world began will call you blessed. Do you care nothing for these things, and spurn the hopes that lie in the future for the sake of your present enjoyment? Come, distribute your wealth freely, give generously to those who are in need. Earn for yourself the psalmist’s praise: He gave freely to the poor; his righteousness will endure for ever. How grateful you should be to your own benefactor; how you should beam with joy at the honor of having other people come to your door, instead of being obliged to go to theirs! But you are now ill- humored and unapproachable; you avoid meeting people, in case you might be forced to loosen your purse-strings even a little. You can say only one thing: “I have nothing to give you. I am only a poor man.” A poor man you certainly are, and destitute of all real riches; you are poor in love, generosity, faith in God and hope of eternal happiness. From a sermon on charity by Saint Basil the Great, bishop He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh; he will reward him. Proverbs 19:17 {41:1} Blessed is he who considers the poor. Yahweh will deliver him in the day of evil. {41:2} Yahweh will preserve him, and keep him alive. He shall be blessed on the earth, and he will not surrender him to the will of his enemies. {41:3} Yahweh will sustain him on his sickbed, and restore him from his bed of illness. The Psalms 41:1-3 Things which an eye didn't see, and an ear didn't hear, which didn't enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 2:9 Do what is good and no evil shall touch you. The Book of Tobit, 12:7 {3:18} Let's not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. John's First Letter 3:18 {4:11} Even to this present hour we hunger, thirst, are naked, are beaten, and have no certain dwelling place. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 4:11-13 He that loves his son will continue to lay stripes upon him, that he may have joy of him in the end. The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach 30:1 How to love your neighbor 1. Respect everyone - Christ lives in everyone. 2. Think well of everyone - think ill of no one. 3. Always speak well of others - do not cast a slur on anyone. 4. Speak to everyone in the language of love. 5. Forgive everyone everything. Do not hold grudges. 6. Act always to your neighbour's advantage. 7. Be actively compassionate in times of suffering. 8. Work conscientiously - others benefit from the fruits of your labour. 9. Be active in your community. 10. Pray for everyone, even your enemies. Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more... Paul's Letter to the Philippians 1:9 and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. These words, which I command you this day, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for symbols between your eyes. You shall write them on the door posts of your house, and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-9 Don't rejoice when your enemy falls. Don't let your heart be glad when he is overthrown; lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. Proverbs 24:17-18 It is Your love that does this, graciously upholding me, supporting me in so many necessities, guarding me from so many grave dangers, and snatching me, as I may truly say, from evils without number. Thomas à Kempis "The Imitation Of Christ" One who is in love flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free, not bound. Thomas à Kempis "The Imitation Of Christ" Strive to love your neighbor actively and indefatigably. In as far as you advance in love you will grow surer of the reality of God and of the immortality of your soul. If you attain to perfect self-forgetfulness in the love of your neighbor, then you will believe without doubt, and no doubt can possibly enter your soul. This has been tried. This is certain. Fyodor Dostoyevsky "The Brothers Karamazov" ‘I love humanity,' he said, ‘but I wonder at myself. The more I love humanity in general, the less I love man in particular. In my dreams,' he said, ‘I have often come to making enthusiastic schemes for the service of humanity, and perhaps I might actually have faced crucifixion if it had been suddenly necessary; and yet I am incapable of living in the same room with any one for two days together, as I know by experience. As soon as any one is near me, his personality disturbs my self-complacency and restricts my freedom. In twenty-four hours I begin to hate the best of men: one because he's too long over his dinner; another because he has a cold and keeps on blowing his nose. I become hostile to people the moment they come close to me. But it has always happened that the more I detest men individually the more ardent becomes my love for humanity.' Fyodor Dostoyevsky "The Brothers Karamazov" The stroke of a whip makes a mark in the flesh; But the stroke of a tongue will break bones. Many have fallen by the edge of the sword: Yet not so many as those who have fallen because of the tongue. The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach 28:17-18 Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently. Peter's First Letter 1:22 To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God, and knows God. John's First Letter 4:7-8 If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us. John's First Letter 4:12 God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. John's First Letter 4:16 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love. John's First Letter 4:18 For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. ... lets make efforts to use things and love people ... and not to use people and love things ... Don't say, "I will do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work." Proverbs 24:29 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he be weary of you, and hate you. Proverbs 25:17 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink: for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and Yahweh will reward you. Proverbs 25:21-22 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, The Good News According to Matthew 5:44-48 Don't say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you," when you have it by you. Proverbs 3:28 One who gives to the poor has no lack. Proverbs 28:27 "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. They called to them, so they went from them. They sacrificed to the Baals, and burned incense to engraved images. Yet I taught Ephraim to walk. I took them by his arms; but they didn't know that I healed them. I drew them with cords of a man, with ties of love; and I was to them like those who lift up the yoke on their necks; and I bent down to him and I fed him. Hosea 11:1-4 Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who distressed them. In the time of their trouble, when they cried to you, you heard from heaven; and according to your manifold mercies you gave them saviors who saved them out of the hand of their adversaries. But after they had rest, they did evil again before you; therefore left you them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them; yet when they returned, and cried to you, you heard from heaven; and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. Nehemiah, 9:27-28 13:1 If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don't have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, 13 Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a fattened calf with hatred. Proverbs 15:17 Truly loves you he who secretly prays to God for you. St. Nicholas Serbian "The Mass is long", you say, and I reply: "Because your love is short". St. Josemaria Escriva When we love, we pass from death to life. Chiara Lubich The soul has no right for love before it begins to love. Chiara Lubich To love means to serve. Chiara Lubich Love always wins. Where there is love, there is happiness. God created us for others. Love for the pupils. It is not enough to love children, you need to let them know that they are loved. We live on Earth with the goal to mature to eternal life, to learn to love. (From the apparition of the Virgin Mary in Civitavecchia)
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