A Love Relationship With God?

[vee]

[quote name='TeresaBenedicta' date='19 July 2010 - 10:49 PM' timestamp='1279597768' post='2145332']

But back to religious vocations and acknowledging that love relationship with God... I keep the following excerpt from Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity in my breviary:

"[i]Let[/i] yourself be loved more than these! That is, without fearing that any obstacle will be a hindrance to it, for I am free to pour out My love on whom I wish! [i]'Let[/i] yourself be loved more than these' is your vocation. It is in being faithful it that you will make Me happy, for you will magnify the power of My love. This love can rebuild what you have destroyed. [i]Let[/i] yourself be loved more than these."

[/quote]

Thank you for posting that! I read it for the first time a week or two ago and its been stuck in my head ever since, not the whole thing as I cant remember that much but the line [i]let yourself be loved MORE than these[/i]. MORE

[Sarah147]

[quote name='srmarymichael' date='21 July 2010 - 10:51 AM' timestamp='1279720304' post='2145871']
[b]This is from a friend of mine -- I think this is an important insight and experience (she gave me permission to post it here):[/b]
...
Loving other people is crucial and the center of how we should live our lives. BUT loving others is just as important as loving myself. God created me the way He did. If I reject myself, I reject God. If I don't love God's creation, including myself, I don't know what Love is because God is Love.
[/quote]

This reminds me of what I've read...



[b]Love for God, Self, Others
[/b][2083]

In this life, your love for God is bound together with your love of others--and these loves are bound together with your love of self. "Whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:20) [2840]. And by God's own commandment, you are to love your neighbor [i]as yourself [/i](Matthew 19:19; 22:39) [2052]. [b]When it comes to practical, real-life terms, fullfillment of God's commandment to love begins with a proper self-love. In order to love God as he wills, you need to respect, esteem, and reverence yourself.[/b] [2055].

You increase your love of self by allowing yourself to realize, gradually and more deeply as the years go on, that [i]God really loves you [/i]with a love that has no end. You are loved and you are lovable. Whenever you try to acquire or deepen this attitude about yourself, you are cooperating with the grace of God [2196].

You also increase your love for self by better understanding those around you. You listen to others, trust them, and love them. You let yourself [i]be [/i]loved, by being truly forgiving and (what is most difficult) seeking true personal forgiveness, by widening your circle of compassion to embrace living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty [2842-2845].

Saint John writes about the importance of love: "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love." (1 John 4:7-8). You learn what love is by loving. By loving, you come to know God [1,214,221,773,1828].
[b]Source: Handbook for Today's Catholic
[/b]
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It all comes down to [i]trust. [/i]Trust is the key to receiving God's mercy. The more we trust that God really loves us, really cares about us in a personal way -- no matter how bad our sins have been -- [b]the more we can let go of all the things that prevent us from being filled with His love.[/b] "Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet," He told Blessed Faustina. "The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive" (Diary, 699, 1578).
[b]Source: Pamphlet "Reconciliation - Encountering the Mercy of God" by Fr. George Kosicki, CSB[/b]

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87. Love of Ourselves

WHY MUST WE LOVE OURSELVES?

We must love ourselves because:

1. God wishes and requires it. Our Lord said: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matt. 22:39).

Thus He made the love of self the measure of love for others. [b]St. Augustine says: "Learn first to love God, [i]then to love thyself[/i], then thy neighbor as thyself."[/b] Each man is his own closest neighbor.


2. We are made after God's image. We must therefore reverence God's image in ourselves, just as we are bound to respect it in our neighbor, even our worst enemy.


3. We are redeemed by the blood of Christ. We are bought with a great price. We must be very precious in God's sight.

St. Peter says: "You were redeemed from the vain manner of life handed down from your fathers, not with perishable things, with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18).


4. By the merits of Jesus Christ we are made children of God and temples of the Holy Spirit. Should we not love ourselves as such, if only to show reverence for God?

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God, and such we are" (1 John 3:1). "Do you not know that your members are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you?" (1 Cor. 6:19).


5. We are destined to live eternally with God and the angels in heaven. This dignity should impel us to love ourselves aright.

The end of man is the glory of God and the salvation of his own soul. We must have care, love, of ourselves, in order to save ourselves for God. For this reason, [b]we should even love ourselves more than others: [/b]we have a greater duty to ourselves than to others. This should not be interpreted, however, as meaning that we should not sacrifice ourselves for the sake of others; for, as we shall see, self-sacrifice is not only possibly, but most desirable.


In What consists TRUE LOVE of self?

True love of self consists in avoiding sin and practicing virtue.

"Enter by the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who enter that way. How narrow the gate and close the way that leads to life! And few there are who find it" (Matt. 7:13-14).

1. We must first assure our eternal salvation, before we attend to earthly things which are but means to our last end.

"Seek first the kingdom of God ad his justice, and all these things shall be given you besides" (Matt. 6:33).


2. We should care more for our soul than for the ease of our body. If we lose our soul, we lose everything.

We should provide for our bodily needs, such as food and clothing, but without excessive solicitude. They are only means by which we may ascend to God. "Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things; and yet only one thing is needful" (Luke 10:41-42).


3. It is against true love of self to strive only after earthly possessions and honors and neglect eternal salvation. "Take heed not to practice your good before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you shall have no reward with your Father in heaven" (Matt. 6:1). "For what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul?" (Matt. 16:26).

Earthly riches and honors are not to be used to gratify our sense, our pride, arrogance, conceit, or vanity, but only to help us go close to God.


Does love of self INCLUDE LOVE OF THE BODY?

Love of self includes love of the body, for our body is a gift, that we should treat as such.

1. Our body is united with our soul, and is the soul's instrument for good, for the attainment of our end, eternal happiness.

As the instrument of the soul, the body must not be misused: "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body...And do not yield your members to sin as weapons of iniquity, but present your members as weapons of justice for God" (Rom. 6:12-13).


2. We should have the greatest respect and reverence for our body. We should never defile it by sin, for it is destined to live forever in heaven.

We should guard our eyes, ears, tongue, and hands carefully, because sin enters the soul by the five senses. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is like a monstrance holding God, the Blessed Trinity.

Some people are very particular about keeping their body clean. But they are not so careful about avoiding sins that make their body so dirty that no disinfectant can purify it.


3. We do not love our body when we indulge it in vanity, or too much comfort, or by gratifying its every passion. By such indulgence, rather, we hate our body, because we bring upon it punishment.

Good Christians mortify their bodies. That is how they understood the words of Our Lord: "For he who would save his life will lose it; but he who loses his life for my sake and for the Gospel's sake will save it" (Mark 8:35).


Does true love of self also include care for one's retutation and temporal goods?

True love of self also ordinarily includes care for one's reputation and temporal goods.

1. A good reputation is a precious possession, useful for both time and eternity. By a good reputation one can do much good; being well thought of, he can be of influence over others, as well as more encouraged by himself to lead an upright life.

Our Lord Himself said: "So let your light shine before men, in order that they may see your good works, and give glory to your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). And the Apostle reiterates the same advice when he said, "Let your moderation be known to all men" (Phil. 4:5).


2. Temporal goods are useful as a means for obtaining spiritual riches. By them we can help needy, promote religion, and gain ascendancy for the common good.

As with our body and our reputation, we should use riches only for the glory of God and the welfare or ourselves and our fellowmen. When put to the right use, all these make us truly rich in the eyes of God. Then we shall have no fear at death, when God says to us. "Make an accounting of your stewardship (of all these gifts)" (Luke 16:2).

[b]Source: My Catholic Faith - A Manual of Religion by the Most Reverend Louis Laravoire Morrow, S.T.D.
(My Mission House, Kenosha, Wisconsin)[/b] -- Fantastic, deep book for all ages!

Edited July 25, 2010 by JoyfulLife

[srmarymichael]

Wow.

[Sarah147]

Within a few weeks, there was a program on EWTN where they featured Sisters in a convent talking. One of the Sisters said something about how we only know love by the love we've been shown.

[LaPetiteSoeur]

Most children are taught that God is there in Heaven with a 'smite' button ready to 'smite' us when we sin. Many times Theology is dumbed down to "God loves you," but there is absolutely no scriptural explanation.

Many teenagers now feel so unworthy of God's love. They are not taught that God's [b]mercy[/b] and [b]love[/b] are limitless. They are not taught about the good of Reconciliation and view it as a terrible, terrible experience. If only they could feel the grace of a clean heart filled with God's love! To feel the Divine Love completely penetrate one's heart is such a wonderous gift that [i]everyone[/i] should experience.

I once told my nun friend/quasi spiritual director that I didn't understand why on earth Jesus was calling me to himself to be his Bride. Why me? After practically assulting her via snail mail, she simply replied, "He is worthy of your heart." God's love is so hard to fathom. I think teenagers [i]want [/i]to feel God's love, but are number one: afraid of what others will think, and number two: they have no idea where to begin. In public schools students cannot talk about God at all. Even in Catholic schools students are looked down on because of their faith.

If only they could feel His loving presence!

Jesus is worthy of everyone's heart.