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Love, Uninterrupted

by Sister Julie on February 14, 2012 J.M.J.A.T.

in random writing

Ah, love. It is good, isn’t it! No matter how crazy this day gets commercially, I still get a kick out of giving and receiving “valentines”, seeing little red and pink hearts everywhere, and hearing the sweet stories of valentine celebrations.

As a Catholic Sister, I still enjoy the romanticness of the day, though of course the celebrations are different today than my “pre-nun” days. And, my sense of what love is has evolved over the years too as I’m sure it has for you as well.

Here are a few quotes that speak to me about how I see love now … please share some of your own!

“Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love and it will decide everything.” – Father Pedro Arrupe, SJ (talk given to a group of religious sisters per Father Kevin F. Burke, SJ)

“As for what concerns our relations with our fellow men [sic], the anguish in our neighbor’s soul must break all precept. All that we do is a means to an end, but love is an end in itself, because God is love.” – Saint Teresa Benedict of the Cross (Edith Stein) (source unknown)

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” — Saint Augustine (source unknown)

“It is not so essential to think much as to love much.” — Saint Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle, Fourth Mansions 1.7)

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Tagged as: augustine, edith stein, love, pedro arrupe, saints and, teresa of avila, valentine

{ 9 comments }

Barbara February 14, 2012 at 11:14 am

I was going to repeat a line or two from 1 Cor 13, but the whole chapter just “grabbed me”. So I will simply refer to those passages.

But for me, the most challenging and disturbing “saying” about love is from Jesus who tells us: “Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you”. Whatever was he thinking!!!

Michelle February 14, 2012 at 4:05 pm: It’s not about the enemy…it’s about God showing the enemy who He is through you!!!

Gayle OSF February 14, 2012 at 3:38 pm

I agree, I still love this day. I have my valentine sweater and pink tights on at the moment. Last yr for supper I made heart-shaped meatloaf and jello hearts for the Sister I live with. It was just fun.

Barbara February 14, 2012 at 10:08 pm: PINK TIGHTS??? I would LOVE a photo!

Jenna February 14, 2012 at 4:28 pm

“We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become. If we love things, we become a thing. If we love nothing, we become nothing. Imitation is not a literal mimicking of Christ, rather it means becoming the image of the beloved, an image disclosed through transformation. This means we are to become vessels of God´s compassionate love for others. ”

~ St. Clare of Assisi

Julia February 14, 2012 at 6:19 pm