November 21
Daily Gleanings of the Saintly LifeEighteenth Thursday after Trinity
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. S. Matthew 22:39.
LOVE may be natural or supernatural. It is easy to graft the higher upon the lower love, and to love for God's sake those whom we already love with a natural love, but it is not so easy to love any one with a purely supernatural love. "But," you ask, "is it wrong to love one's neighbour for his own good qualities?" No, to do so is natural love. But if it is hard to love any one with a purely disinterested natural love, rather than because of the pleasure or benefit we derive from him, it is harder still so to purify our supernatural love as to love only through God and His holy will. This is a degree of love to our neighbour only attained by those who are very far advanced in the paths of holiness; and it comprises love of enemies; for it is easy enough to love those who are pleasant and useful to us, but to love people who injure or inconvenience us, solely because God would have us do so, is a supernatural love—one that is wholly in and of God. "One needs," says a good man, "a tender, kindly, loving heart towards one's neighbour, particularly when he is troublesome or offensive to one, because then we love him solely for the Saviour's sake—a love all the worthier that it is free from earthly motives." To love any one purely and solely in God is an altogether supernatural task.
O Spirit, Fount of love, Unlock Thy temple door, And on our spirits pour Thy Day-spring from above.
O Thou of the great Three, Who art the Union, Unite us all in one, In bonds of charity.