Session 4: Love

Participating in God's Life

"So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love."

(1 Corinthians 13:13)

The Ultimate Question

"What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Love God. Love your neighbor.

"Do this, and you will live."

God IS 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... In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us."
1 John 4:7-10

Love is not just what God DOES.

Love is who God IS.

The Eternal Exchange

"The Trinity is an eternal communion of love."

What is Charity?

"Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God."
CCC 1822
God
Loved for His own sake
Neighbor
Loved for the love of God

Not a Feeling, But a Choice

"I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another."
John 13:34
  • ✖ Love is not primarily a feeling
  • ✔ Love is willing the good of the other
  • ✔ Love is self-gift
  • ✔ Love is an act of the will

The Bond of Perfection

"For in Christ Jesus... only faith working through love counts for anything."
Galatians 5:6
Faith
Trusts God
→
Love
Animates Faith
"Charity is the soul of holiness." (CCC 826)

The Final Test

"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
Matthew 25:40

Sins Against Love

  • Indifference
  • Ingratitude
  • Lukewarmness
  • Acedia (Spiritual Sloth)
  • Hatred

Love in Action

  • Concrete Acts
  • Sacrificial Giving
  • Serving the Poor
  • Forgiving Others

The Journey of Grace

Grace: God giving us His life
Faith: Saying "Yes" to God
Hope: Trusting His promises
Love: Participating in His life (The Destination)

Prayer

"Lord Jesus, you are Love Incarnate... Help us first to receive your love, so that we may have love to give. Soften our hearts toward those we find hard to love. Set us on fire with the love that casts out fear."
Amen.