Love Much 

   “The important thing is not to think so much but to love much; and so do that which best stirs you to love.” (St. Teresa of Avila) 

   It doesn’t matter what good we do, what ministries we serve, how much we donate if we do it without love.  We can serve the poor, visit the sick, feed the hungry and house the homeless but without love, we have failed in God’s plan.

   St. Paul said that if we do not have we are nothing more than a noisy gong or clanging cymbal; we are nothing and have accomplished nothing if we do not have love. (1 Cor 13: 1 – 3).  All that we do must be done for love if it is to win favor with God.  No matter what we do, if it is for any reason other than love, it will not get us to heaven even though we may be doing great good.

   What is this love that we must have?  It is not what this world and our society so often call love but rather a deep and abiding desire for the good of the beloved.  And who is our beloved except God; He who gives all love and asks our love in return.  It is the love of Jesus Christ who gave His very life because of His great love for us.

   “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails.” (1 Cor 13: 7 – 8).  We too can participate in such love, but we must first humble ourselves and care more for the one we love than we do for ourselves.  Sadly, it is hard to find such love in the world, but when we find it we must cherish it and grow in it.

   Nothing we can do surpasses the glory of love.  God is love and only when we love Him can we find the love that conquers all.  Without love, we are nothing; without love we can never enter His heavenly kingdom.