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Of all the feelings and affections of the soul, love is the only one by which the creature, though not on equal terms, is able to respond to the Creator and to repay what it has received from Him. For when God loves us He desires nothing but to be loved. He loves for no other reason, indeed, than that He may be loved, knowing that by their love itself those who love Him are blessed.
... St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153)
(The circle of love and loving. Join in and be blessed!)
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Acts 5:17-26; Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Jn 3:16-21
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
USCCB Lectionary
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Praying the Daily Gospels: A Guide to Meditation, by Philip St. Romain,
2018 (3rd ed.)
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John 3: 16-21 (Jesus sent to save, not judge)
Many people believe that Gods judgment works as a positive endorsement for, or negative decision against, us. JesusÕ teaching about light and darkness reminds us that judgment means that God will honor the choices we have freely made. Those who reject Jesus and the way to God, he reveals, will be allowed to experience the darkness of soul they have chosen. God gives us freedom to respond to his love or to reject him. If this were not
true, we could not share in GodÕs love.
* Verse 20 implies that those who hate the light are ashamed and afraid to change. Is there anything from your past of which you are ashamed and believe that God has not forgiven? Ask for forgiveness.
* Is it easy for you to change attitudes and behaviors that conflict with the way of love? Pray for the grace to change.
Paperback, Kindle and eBook
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Treatise on the Love of God, by St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
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BOOK II: THE HISTORY OF THE GENERATION AND HEAVENLY BIRTH OF DIVINE LOVE
Chapter 8: How much God desires we should love Him.
Although our Saviour's redemption is applied to us in as many different manners as there are souls, yet still, love is the universal means of salvation which mingles with everything, and without which nothing is profitable, as we shall show elsewhere. The Cherubim were placed at the gate of the earthly paradise with their flaming sword, to teach us that no one shall enter
into the heavenly paradise who is not pierced through with the sword of love. For this cause, Theotimus, the sweet Jesus who bought us with his blood, is infinitely desirous that we should love him that we may eternally be saved, and desires we may be saved that we may love him eternally, his love tending to our salvation and our salvation to his love. Ah! said he: I am come to cast fire on the earth; and what will I but that it be kindled? But to set out more to the life the
ardour of this desire, he in admirable terms requires this love from us. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.
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