Be A Lover, Not A Liar

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I believe I am one of the last orthodox bloggers who has not read Deus Caritas Est in its entirety. Well, I finally have the opportunity to do so. Since I have begun, I have been astonished at how much philosophy, theology, and catechesis our beloved pope fits into such a small place. True, the principles are base, but I never get tired of hearing that "God is Love;" and I never tire of reading the multifaceted ways in which that statement is true.

But I digress...

As I read a passage of the encyclical today, and as I heard the Gospel reading proclaimed at Mass today, I realized that I want to be a lover rather than a liar. Yes, denying my flesh the things it desires, serving the poor, taking up my cross daily, and following Jesus to the fullest of my ability sounds much better than the alternative.

In the Gospel of Matthew (25:40), Jesus illustrates that "whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." Jesus' apostles also knew that He wasn't simply calling them to be nice to poor people. In the First Letter of Saint John (4:20) Christians are told, "If anyone says, 'I love God,' but hates his brother, he is a liar...."

My friends, the clarion call has been sounded, and we must listen. Jesus taught these things (and the apostles faithfully handed on that teaching) because He wanted Christians of all successive generations to recognize that He is in each and every human person. If we fail to love others to the fullest of our ability, then we make liars of ourselves. We cannot call ourselves people of God if we treat others among us with disrespect and contempt. In order to call ourselves Christians, we must perform small and large act of love, and we most do them for the greater glory of God.

Personally, I have been reminded of my duties as a Christian. Jesus Christ expects more of me than I have been giving. I pray that I will be forgiven for my shortcomings. Finally, I hope that I will, someday, truly be able to call myself a man of God.

Pray that love will prevail in my life, your life, and throughout the world!

God Bless.

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