The Language of Love

This week I want to share with you another foundational principle of Christianity – one of the theological virtues – LOVE

Malayalam is my mother tongue, one of the several official languages of India used in the Southern State of Kerala. Most of my readers consider ‘English’ as their first language. But Malayalam or English is not the language we began to communicate with our family and friends when we were born. My mother understood everything I said even when I didn’t speak anything as a child. In the same way I understood everything my mother communicated without speaking a word. This is the universal first language, “the language of love”. We can go to any corner of the world without speaking the language of that community and still be able to live with them amicably if we speak the language of love. I am trying that method in this Norbertine College since the medium of communication here is Italian.  That is how I survived at St. Mary, Port Huron, USA when I went there ten years ago and also probably in my successive parishes. Even when I spoke English language in my own way people understood everything and gave a positive response. It was just possible only because they all spoke the language of love. It is time for humanity to start speaking the universal first language and relate to each other based on this language of love and build up a new world.  Because of the gift of this language the Apostles and later missionaries went to distant lands and conveyed to people the Good News of Christ.  I normally try to practice six steps as I try to grow in the art of Christian love (I developed these points based on a retreat I attended fifteen years ago in India).

1. Love Everyone: When we begin to love others there is no cast, color, gender, economic, educational, cultural backgrounds which come in the way of loving. We have to love everyone. Our love has to transcend all limits just as Jesus went beyond all these limitations to reach out to everyone.
2. Be the First One to Love: We have to compete with others in loving.  I don’t allow the person sitting next to me to love before I love that person. When everybody around us looking for ways to love others we will create a new world based on love.
3. Love Your Enemy: It is very easy to write loving the enemies but when it comes to practical realities of life it is not that easy. There is an easy way to do this. Start praying for the person whom we think that we have issues with or with people who have issues with us. We cannot pray and hate a person at the same time.  We will transform our enemies to friends when we start loving and praying. The greatest example for this is Jesus. As he was dying on the cross he prayed for the people who crucified him: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk 23: 34). John Paul II, following the example of Christ, went to see Mehmet Ali Agca, in his jail cell who tried to assassinate him.

4. Love Your Neighbor: To the question who is my neighbor, Jesus answered with the story of the Good Samaritan. To the person who was attacked by robbers and left dead on the roadside, the Samaritan stranger became a neighbor than his fellow countrymen. One who is in need of me is my neighbor- one who is sitting next to me is my neighbor. Then there will always be neighbors around us. A good Christian is the one who always in search of the neighbor to extend the Christian love.
5. See the Face of Jesus in Everyone When We Love: If we look closely into the face of a person we could see God’s imprint on that face because we are created in the image and likeness of God. It would be easier for us to love others if we can see the face of Jesus in each and every one we meet in our day-to-day life. When talking about creating us in God’s own image and likeness, the Fathers of the Church, speak about God looking at the face of his Son to create us. We are created in the image and likeness of God’s own Son, Christ.
6. Identify with Others in Loving: Love is an art and we can grow in this art with our effort. Without understanding the feelings and needs of others it may not be possible for us to love someone. We should be able to speak the language of a child to love a child. To love an older person we may have to give a loving hug, flower, extend our hand in his/her needs.

                

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, young Hamlet wrote a love letter to Ophelia, his lover. Unfortunately that letter ended up in the hands of Polonius, Ophelia’s father. We can just imagine the consequence. I am not going to tell the whole story, but just what is written in that letter. It reads thus:

Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love. (Act ii. Sc. 2)

In real life Hamlet failed to love Ophelia. But Jesus never fails to love us – so is a Christian- shall never fail to love others. 
         

Last week we were meditating on the importance of prayer in sustaining our relationship with God. I received few emails from my friends how much it was helpful for them to improve their spiritual life. I recommend you to share these ideas with your friends as we are in a relentless fight against the powers of the world which prevent us from having such closeness with our loving God. I was also happy and humbled by the number of visitors – more than 800 hits until today from nine countries, mostly from USA.

Since it was on prayer I also would like to share with you a message I received from a good friend of mine Cheryl Rendell (Canton, MI, USA) whose daughter had a spinal surgery eighteen months ago. Morgaine is a lovely girl and her friends and family had been praying for her. I am citing here the exact happy and emotional words I received through a facebook message from Cheryl few days ago and I am writing this with Cheryl’s permission:

Hi Fr. Mathew,
I just wanted to share some good news with you! Morgaine went to the doctor this past week for her regular 6 month check of her spine. It has been a year and a half since her surgery and her progress has been terrific all along but this time her spine has straightened significantly and the residual fluid left in her spinal cord from the cyst had completely disappeared. The doctor said it was "truly remarkable progress". Then she went on to say "I don't know how and I don't know why this recovery has been so spectacular ... but Praise God". The doctor may not know how or why but I certainly do. We felt the power of prayer in such a strong way while Morgaine was going through that surgery and healing. We were lifted up by so many people and loved by so many people. It was incredible.
Anyway, just wanted to share our happiness with you!

Cheryl

We give glory to our loving God for the blessings and continue to pray for each other.