Crazy Love

[Joysong]

In today’s papal audience with Benedict XVI, he spoke about “crazy love.”

The Pope contended that Christians of today face the same temptation confronted by the community of Corinth.

“Those Christians thought that, having been gratuitously justified in Christ by faith, ‘everything was licit.’ And they thought, and often it seems that the Christians of today think, that it is licit to create divisions in the Church, the body of Christ, to celebrate the Eucharist without concerning oneself with the brothers who are most needy, to aspire to the best charisms without realizing that they are members of each other, etc.,” he said.

“On the contrary,” the Holy Father continued, “following St. Paul, we should renew our awareness of the fact that, precisely because we have been justified in Christ, we don’t belong to ourselves, but have been made into the temple of the Spirit and are called, therefore, to glorify God in our bodies and with the whole of our existence. It would be to scorn the inestimable value of justification if, having been bought at the high price of the blood of Christ, we didn’t glorify him with our body.”

Thus, the Pontiff explained, “Christian ethics is not born from a system of commandments, but rather is the consequence of our friendship with Christ. This friendship influences life: If it is true, it incarnates and fulfills itself in love for neighbor. …] Let us, therefore, be overtaken by the reconciliation that God has given us in Christ, by God’s ‘crazy’ love for us: No one and nothing could ever separate us from his love. With this certainty we live. And this certainty gives us the strength to live concretely the faith that works in love.”
zenit.org/article-24380?l=english

I suppose his thought that got my attention was “that it is licit to create divisions in the Church, the body of Christ.” How easily we forget that we “don’t belong to ourselves” but are intimately united with each other. So much so, that “if one member suffers, all suffer with him” as St. Paul wrote so eloquently.

How good it was to read his reminder that we are all One Body in the “temple of His Spirit.” Share your thoughts if you care to.

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

Thank you for making this post about love, the most important part of our faith. To answer your question, I don’t really understand how, “If one member suffers, all suffer with him.” That saying almost seems to be to be a beautiful thing in word but not in reality. Unless it refers to a spiritual concept far beyond my grasp and not simply physical/worldy reality.

Speaking on the concept of love, I read a wonderful Papal Encyclical on “Love conquers all.” Might you have read it?vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est_en.html

Also, you mentioned in another thread that you read St. Faustina’s Diary? I had begun reading it, but now want to start from the beginning doing a prayerful reading and reflection in hopes of learning more about the subtleties this time. Might you have any interest in re-reading the book or discussing it in any way?

Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. *

 

[InLight247]

**consequence of our friendship with Christ **

How good it is to read our Holy Father’s words. What he said is very true. A true follower of Jesus unavoidably reflects the consequence of his friendship with Christ. When people interact with you, can they see the connection between you and Christ? 

A true follower of Jesus will do what Jesus will do; the love of Christ will naturally flow through him or her. To be more concrete, the consequence of our friendship with Christ is to reveal joy, peace and love in our daily lives, to bring faith, hope and love to others.  The person lives a good, peaceful and loving life and brings encouragement and compassion to others even in his own suffering. 

When we offer up our own bodies on the altar as living sacrifice, we live not by ourselves any more but Christ is living within us. We live, move and have our being in Christ. That is what the Holy Father talking about, I believe. Such a life is the best life one can live. There is total freedom in this status because we allow Christ freely take over our lives without limiting Him in any area.

How could we suffer with anyone who is suffering and celebrate with anyone who is celebrating?  When one is so united with Christ, one understands God is in all.  This universe is all interconnected and God has no partiality; therefore, the genuine compassion will make one feel so compassionate for all.  When we learn good news about others, there will be no jealousy but gratitude for that person. When we learn about sad news of others, we offer support with our prayers and any concrete help possible. We don’t have to emotionally feel it, but  to cast genuine good will and possible actions. We strive to become Christ for each other.