During his homily at Casa Santa Marta Thursday morning, Pope Francis discussed the nature of true love. He explained that true love is not isolated but instead it communicates.
POPE FRANCIS
May 7, 2015
'There is no love without communicating, there is no isolated love. Some of you may wonder, though: â??But Father, monks and nuns are isolated.â?? But they communicate and they do a lot of it: with the Lord, even with those who go to find a word of God. True love cannot isolate itself.â?
It is important to distinguish between 'a soap opera taleâ? and authentic love, the Pope said. He pointed out that God's love 'was concrete: He sent His incarnate Son to save us.â?
SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S HOMILY
(SOURCE: Vatican Radio)
'In other words, true love is real, it is in the works it does, it is a constant love. It is not a mere enthusiasm. Also, many times, love is a painful thing: the love we think of Jesus carrying the Cross. But the works of love are what Jesus teaches us in the passage from the 25th chapter of St. Matthew. He, who loves, does these things â?? the things for which we shall be judged: I was hungry, and you gave me to eat, and so on. Concreteness: even the Beatitudes, which are Jesus â??pastoral planâ??, are concrete.â?
'There is no love without communicating, there is no isolate love. Some of you may wonder, though: â??But Father, monks and nuns are isolated.â?? But they communicate ... and they do a lot of it: with the Lord, even with those who go to find a word of God ... True love cannot isolate itself. If it is isolated, it is not love. To abide closed in on oneself is a spiritualist form of selfishness, of seeking its own profit ... it is selfishness.â?
'It is as simple as that: but it is not easy. Because selfishness, self-interest, attracts us, and draws us to do nothing, draws us to not communicate. What does the Lord say of those who will abide in his love? â??I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.â?? The Lord who abides in the love of the Father is joyful, â??and if you abide in my love, your joy shall be fullâ?? â?? a joy that often comes along with the Cross. But that joy â?? Jesus himself told us â?? no one may take from you.â?
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