Love is First. God is Love.

I want to speak today about Christian love: where is it from, and what does it look like? I think it can serve us in understanding what the Lord expects from us. He is the vinegrower, and the fruit He expects from us, the branches, is love. Suppose He comes today to see how we are doing, if there is fruit in our hearts… Let us examine ourselves today. Let us explore the meaning of Christian love, so that we may know what we should do and not do, so that we may be living branches of the vine.

1. Where is love from? It seems it is something we give. But, how can we give what we have not received? Christian love is a love which is first received. Jesus gives us the love which He receives from the Father: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love." (John 15:9) The disciples must give the love which they themselves have received: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (cf. CCC 1823) Love is something that we first receive and then we can give. That is why Jesus said: “I give you a new commandment”, because He gave us the love, He poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Cf. Rom 5:5). “In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins… We love, because He loved us first.” (1John 4:10.19)

Charity and Christian love, the love that has changed our culture and can change it again, comes not from a simple human feeling, nor from the love I may or may not have received from others in my life. Christian love comes from the fact that God loved me and died on a cross for me (Cf. Gal 2:20). That is why even people who have had a tough life—when they are touched by the love of God—become so eager in promoting the good of others; they become lovers. Because they have received the love of God, they can give love. And because the love of God is great, they become great and transform the world.

The secret of Christian love comes from the contemplation of the Cross. The Cross is the sign, the manifestation, the greatest expression of the love of God. We need to contemplate the Cross, ponder the Cross, and allow the love of God to enter our hearts; we need to let Him in and love Him back. “You did and suffered so much for me, what should I do for You?” Why should it be so difficult to sacrifice something for the One who sacrificed everything for me?

2. Let us explore some of the characteristics of love. First, there is no opposition between love and commandments: "Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love" (John 15:9-10; cf. CCC 1824).

Second, there are no restrictions to Christian love. “Christ died out of love for us, while we were still ‘enemies’. The Lord asks us to love as He does, even our enemies, to make ourselves the neighbor of those farthest away, and to love children and the poor as Christ himself.” (CCC 1825) Christ loved His enemies, Christ loved us, who were His enemies because of sin: we should also love our enemies. Christ loved children and the poor, those who lacked wisdom and those who lacked money: we should also love and be close not only to those more socially accepted, but also to those less fortunate. Those less fortunate should never feel less fortunate when they are with us. We should make them feel they are our equals, and even our masters. Remember that whatever we did to the least, we do to Jesus, our Lord.

Third, what does love look like? The Apostle Paul has given an incomparable depiction of charity: “Charity is patient and kind, charity is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Charity does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Charity bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor 13). Do you want to see your progress in Christian life? In this verse, try replacing the word charity with your own name, and see if it makes sense: “John is patient and kind, John is not jealous or boastful…” etc.

Fourth, love is the most important. “"If I . . . have not charity," says the Apostle, "I am nothing." Whatever my privilege, service, or even virtue, "if I . . . have not charity, I gain nothing." Charity is superior to all the virtues.” (CCC 1826) The first place in the Church is not a position of leadership, but of love. The first in the kingdom of Heaven will be the one who loved God more. Keep in mind that in Heaven, the first place (after Jesus of course) belongs to Our Lady, so not to a priest but to a mother. Many people think that the way to be higher in the Church is to be in charge of something. The more control you have, the better, they think. This is not so. In merely human institutions, things might be measured that way, but not in the Church of God. The Church is not only a human community, it is also like a body, or like a vine. In a body, not only is the head important, but also the heart. And if head and heart do not have blood, they are dead. The blood in the mystical body of Jesus is love. Love is the life and the energy of every part of the body. Love is like the sap that makes the branches alive and fruitful. The more you love, the more important you are in the Church. The less you love, the drier you are, and even if you are one of the top branches, it is better for the vine that dry branches be removed.

Fifth, love is its own reason. We don’t serve God because we are afraid of losing something if we don’t, or because we expect to get something from Him. We love Him. That is why we should do His will. It does not mean that there is no reward or punishment, but for the one who loves God, reward is God Himself and the only punishment is to lose Him (cf. CCC 1828).

How do we recognize charity? “The fruits of charity are joy, peace, and mercy; charity demands beneficence and fraternal correction; it is benevolence; it fosters reciprocity and remains disinterested and generous; it is friendship and communion” (cf. CCC 1829).

May God pour out His love into our hearts. May we always look at the Cross of Jesus and recognize our name in His wounds. May we love our neighbours as we have been loved by God. May the Holy Virgin Mary teach us how to love Jesus.