Jul 30 Thu
Should I forget myself and open myself to others?
Love bears fruit only if we lose a part of “ourselves” to make room for the other.
Pope Leo XIV reflected on the nature of true love, which –he said– requires at least three essential attitudes: “detachment, loss, and friendliness.”
Love bears fruit only when we are willing to lose a little of ourselves to make room for another, to lose a little time to listen to a friend, and to lose a little comfort to share in a difficult situation.
We find it hard to understand this, especially in a world where losing seems to be a weakness, and people are obsessed with having and possessing.
St. Josemaría: “After losing those human consolations, you have been left with a feeling of loneliness, as if you were suspended by a mere thread over the black emptiness of the abyss. And your cries, your shouts for help seem to be heard by nobody."
“Be humble, don't seek yourself, don't seek consolation. Love the Cross –to bear it is little– and our Lord will hear your prayer. And calm will be restored to your senses. And your wounded heart will heal. And you will have peace."
"Unto death, death on a cross. You have to get out of yourself; you have to complicate your life, losing it for love of God and souls. So, you wanted to live a quiet life. But God wanted otherwise. Two wills exist: your will should be corrected to become identified with God's will: you must not bend God's will to suit yours."
“Some have dedicated all their yearnings and their professional work to the service of the Church, for the good of all men."
“Let us learn to obey, let us learn to serve. There is no better leadership than wanting to give yourself freely, to be useful to others."
Whoever keeps his life only for himself –as the Gospel says– actually loses it, because he does not open himself to the joy of love, and he becomes barren.
Jesus asked us to follow him and to be witnesses to his Kingdom. This is not about some external acts, but about committing our whole being to a loving relationship with him.
From the moment the Lord began to send His apostles on mission, He wanted them to be free from any ties. This principle applies to everyone: even the most important attachments find their fulfillment only in the love that Christ gives us.
Married life, for example, can only be lived to the full by “leaving one’s parents’ home” to be committed to the marital relationship.
Similarly, in the upbringing of children, we help them fulfill their potential and find happiness by teaching them to be self-reliant and make their own decisions.
For this reason, Jesus invites us to embrace the Cross: He offered Himself, He lost Himself, and precisely, this way, we receive His life in abundance. Likewise, if we live according to the logic of gift, we too will be able to bring forth new life in our friendly relationships.