Love has been the only sign that Jesus wants his disciples to take the breast. No one asked to carry the cross or a rosary around his neck, nor any external marks and superficial, but only love " know that you are in this my disciples, that you love one another . " However, many Christians have not understood this message and really did not believe Jesus, it is believed that if he had already done so, or at least attempted. Not that I want to challenge the fact of the exterior signs for I'll take one, but to see the true meaning of things.
However, the basis of the whole problem is not so much the fact of loving or not loving, but what we mean by love and how we express it. The wise Aristotle, speaking of love, 25 centuries ago, defined it by saying it is the " Wanting the good of others as another " and in this is a great truth. Let's break this sentence into three parts to achieve at least briefly note three essential notes of this love. Want
The characteristic note and initial love is in which is made up of will. This desire is what makes us different from animals. By the will, the difference between man and animal is "infinitely infinite" (Pascal) and no way to reconcile. The animal when he wants something he wants because he wants and feels the instinct and can not contain, because the animal be compelling to achieve, albeit at the expense of harm to another or from their own. If you're hungry invariably skip the hand of its owner though dismembered. But the man is on another level. Is able to contain their desires, instincts and passions when they can not be for the good of another or of himself. You can do something good but this does not feel like it or draw or even repugnant. On the contrary, is able to stop doing something you like and are passionate about if this may not be for the good of others. Phrases like "I can not help loving him," not stand "or" I can not forgive "are very clear expression of a life enslaved under the rule of feelings.
Man, this unique capability, to master his instincts, passions and feelings and not vice versa, as often happens. Under the guise of "freedom" We are slaves of the passions. E contrary, the will man is capable of controlling his emotions and channel their forces to the true love that comes from the will to love. On the other hand, do not fall into the trap of thinking that feelings do not serve, they are part of love, but do not have to be born irrational and uncontrollable passions, but the will to love. Only this can explain the pardon granted by Jesus to his executioners on the gallows of the cross: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." This is love. Only love can love well. Only such a love can love our neighbor but this is illogical logic.
need "Want." This requires "want to want." In turn, this requires "want want want ...." And so would add indefinitely to reach our goal. Without a will, love will never happen, and never cease to be a little game of children who will end when no one has wanted to continue playing. Want
good
The second note is the desire of good for the other. He who loves finds the good of others and not your own. Seeks to make each other happy, that has nothing to do with joy or excessive giggling. This happiness is that it achieves in the realization. One is happy when it is. Then Love seeks the realization of love, making the love come to be what it should be and nothing more, even if it looks dejected or beaten. Here again we see the realization of this ideal in the same Jesus Christ who gives his life for the sake of his disciples, but then recovers this life, but glorified, no doubt give her first for the good of those he loves: "There is no greater love than he who gives his life for his friends."
This is important to emphasize that the good that is sought must be a very real and objective. Parents who under the guise of the good of their children all alone grant them not to be sad, is not true love. It is a love of concessions if sense. Love sometimes goes by the pain and renunciation. Everything nice is not good. The cross was not pleasant, but "God does not keep his own Son for us." Want
good of others as another: The expression "as one" gives meaning to the idea: no one loves the other so I can give, but for what it is, pure and simple. And who is the other but my neighbor? Who is the other but a son of God? Who is the other but the object of infinite love of God? Who am I to change the concepts of God? One loves the other for what is essentially, not superficially. In essence, even the worst murderer is a human being, object love of God, though his sins condemn to hell. It is necessary to love not by quality and less alone when there are qualities, but always. And he loves the other because it's worth it. And if God is worthy of his love, what do you think me to be more severe than the same God?
This topic is longer than a few lines. The issue of love in the CMJ always synthesized in a thought runs through our work: Love is not a feeling, but the decision to love. We must do what needs to be done: to love. Without this principle I have the certainty that we would never be where we are and we do what we do, it is not easy having to abandon the warmth of the home or a family to talk to a world that does not always listen, and we love men not because of what they do but for who they are and they need them for the good of salvation. But this concept is not just for missionaries, it is necessary to teach others and say that while living in the superficial love is likely to continue to live in lies and emptiness of that same love. Only true love can fill our lives, the way true love of Jesus Christ.
Blessings.
