Since all our love for God is
ultimately a response to His love for us, we can never love Him in the same way
He loves us, namely, gratuitously. Since we are fundamentally dependent on God
and in His debt for our creation and redemption, our love is always owed to
Him, a duty, a response to His love. But we can love our neighbor in the same
way that He loves us, gratuitously—not because of anything the neighbor has
done for us or because of anything that we owe him, but simply because love has
been freely given to us. We thereby greatly please the Father. God the Father
tells Catherine [of Siena]: This is why I have put
you among your neighbors: so that you can do for them what you cannot do for
me—that is, love them without any concern for thanks and without looking for
any profit for yourself. And whatever you do for them I will consider done for
me."
– Ralph Martin, Fulfillment of Desire, p. 261
– Ralph Martin, Fulfillment of Desire, p. 261
No comments:
Post a Comment