“To love is to be transformed into what we love. To love God is therefore to be transformed into God.” St. John of the Cross

God the Father has given us countless gifts. Gifts that we have wholeheartedly embraced, gifts that have been masked by sorrow or pain, and sadly, gifts that will forever go unnoticed. But all of these gifts have one thing in common…..they all contain the Father’s love, a Father  who can only give good gifts. And while pain and sorrow are not necessarily “good gifts” as we might know them, they hold a mystery of love that impels us to cling to the cross of Christ. The cross that holds the gift of perfect love. 

We are showered with these gifts simply because He loves us. And there is no need for any other proof of His amazing love for us than our existence which is one of the greatest gifts of love. But because of this, a tug of war between the world and God has begun. It is real and it is strong. We stand at the center of this spiritual warfare and at times succumb to its whirlwind. 

The powers of this world will at times take a hold of us in an attempt to capture our heart with the promise of fulfillment. But it is all LIES! 

Our happiness can only be found in Jesus! He alone can satisfy our heart and the moment we surrender willingly and give ourselves to Him and make all else a sacrifice of love then our heart will find the fulfillment of His joy. This is the joy of the Resurrection. This is the fulfillment of perfect happiness….this is a life lived in union with Christ. 

It seems the only way to reach the awesomeness of this life with Jesus Christ is through a life of prayer. It not only seems to be but truly is the only way. 

If we can, by the grace of God, obtain this higher love then our relationships with others, especially those closest to us, will flourish beyond our wildest expectations. Without divine love we can only give the gift of human affection and filial closeness. But by living in the love of Christ, even the simplest word spoken to another in love can become a life changing encounter with the living God. He thirst for us and He desires to use our charity. We naturally yearn for relationships and this yearning is simply a groaning of a Spirit who desires to breathe love onto hearts. If we can approach others with this disposition, then our encounter as small and insignificant as it may seem can become a moment of grace. Souls become known. Lives are transformed. Hearts are set free. Thus, our communion with one another can only grow in the measure in which our communion with Christ grows.

“May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.” St. Therese of Lisieux