24 March, Antonio, Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day

The Power of God’s Love in the Christian Life

1. Every day in the lives of the Saints was a continual act of the love of God. This was how they became holy. They loved God intensely all the time. They loved Him above all things. Everything which they thought, desired or did was directed to Him. Their entire lives were consecrated to Him. We should all desire to be holy; if we do, we must love God with our whole heart, strength, and will. Not until then will every action of ours become meritorious. Holiness is born of the love of God. Without the love of God everything is futile and useless; our conversation is so much idle chatter; our desires are empty dreams which excite us for a while and then dissolve like bubbles of soap; our actions are unprofitable and our enterprises are not aimed at a true objective; our achievements can inflate us for a time but they will leave us disillusioned at the hour of death. The love of God is necessary for us. He alone is entirely worthy of our affection. Other loves are passing, but this love is eternal. Other loves confuse and trouble us, but the love of God gives us peace of soul. Other loves weaken and vanish with time, but the love of God is the source of all holiness in this life and of eternal happiness in the next. Why, then, do we not forget our worldly preoccupations? Let us give our hearts to God forever, and we shall be in possession of the one true happiness which never fades.

2. The love which we have for God, our Creator, Redeemer, and Benefactor, should not be merely sentimental. It must be effective. When love is sincere, it is active. It is not enough to say: I love You, O my God. We must show by our actions that we love Him. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus tells us, “but he who does the will of my Father in heaven shall enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 7:21) Our love must be active, therefore. Moreover, we must avoid and detest sin, because it is an offence against God, and we must strive to become holy. This involves sacrifice, but sacrifice is the touchstone of love. Anyone in love is not afraid of sacrifice; in fact, he looks for it in order to prove his love. Charity, like faith, is a lifeless thing if it is not accompanied by actions. (Cf. James 2:17) We must love God by doing everything for love of Him. God will repay us generously, not only in the next life but even in the present. Even on earth, the only real happiness is that which comes from Him.

3. As has been said, love must be active and effective as well as coming from the heart. This is still not sufficient, however. Love tends towards an intimate union with the person loved and does not rest until this union is achieved. This is the unity of love. The Saints reached this high level of charity. They lived in God, and were permanently united to God as if they formed part of His Being. “It is now no longer I that live,” exclaimed St. Paul, “but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) If only we could succeed in achieving such a complete and lasting union with God, any sacrifice would seem easy and we should certainly grow in sanctity.