Ruth's Book I

What is True Love

    The great purpose of our lives is to love God and all the children of God. To understand this we go right back to the Gospels and through the words of Jesus Himself, when He answered the young lawyer’s comment, “what must I do to possess eternal life.”

     Jesus answered him saying, “you know the answer to that yourself. You tell me.” The lawyer then quoted scripture, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and thy neighbor as thyself.” And when the young man asked, “who is my neighbor?” Jesus told him the parable of the good Samaritan.

    This brings up a good question. What is True Love?

First of all, it is a feeling towards someone that makes one feel like they want to be with that person, to talk with him, to do things together, and so on. That is, to a certain extent, a selfish aspect of love, a natural and human reaction, a reaching out towards other people and away from loneliness.

    Now, when this feeling, this love for another person strengthens so that one starts thinking, not of one’s own fulfillment, but a desire to wish good things for the other person then we take a step further in intensity. When the feeling is further strengthened to the point where one begins to go out of one’s way to help another, to do things for him or her, and in many different ways to sacrifice one’s self for this person, then we begin to have true love. This will bring an end to loneliness because a void in one’s life has been filled.

     From this human love, we progress to a greater love. How? By loving, not as we have just outlined, because we are attracted to someone and want to be with that person, but because we see a need in another person who may not necessarily be attractive at all; but in fact, may be an ugly, dirty, surly and an unpleasant character. One thing is certain, they are in need of something, maybe it is just a kind word, a smile, a recognition that they are a person who is, indeed, a person and not just a nothing. They are God’s children, brother or sister like the leper Francis gave alms to and then kissed.

     I believe that when we mention this incident of the leper in the life of St. Francis, we always think of Francis; his feelings, his revulsion, and his shuddering — forcing himself to kiss the leper.

     But wait, and stop a minute. Think of the other side of this encounter. Think of the leper’s feelings! Can you imagine how his heart must have leapt for joy; how his eyes must have widened with surprise at first, and then with joy when he experienced another human being, who, rather than shrinking away from him in fear and loathing him as was the usual pattern, smiled at him, and then, the wonder of wonders, actually threw his arms about him and embraced him?

    That leper must have walked on air the rest of the day. His heart must have sung with wonder and joy in this Christ-happening — a joy he carried away with him into his lonely exile, and the aloneness with his horrible disease.

    This is the great love, the love of Christ within us, sparking off a candle flame, a leaping joy in the life of another. This is Christ in us, joining in a warm, strong handclasp with the Christ in the other person. This is supernatural love.

     No structure, that is the living temple of the Holy Spirit — the dwelling place of the great, boundless God and Spirit of Love, could possibly be really ugly or repulsive. We should seek the beauty of God’s great love in that person, which beckons us to approach him in kindness and give him whatever we are able to give. Love such as this is very beautiful, very satisfying and very fulfilling — God then, is in our midst!

    This is what it means to have “True Love” — to mold our existence around the living Christ. This is Franciscanism!