" . . . celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of God not only does not contradict the dignity of marriage but presupposes and confirms it . . .
. . . Through his complete self-sacrifice, Joseph expressed his generous love for the Mother of God and gave her a husband's 'gift of self.' . . . Joseph obeyed the explicit command of the angel and took Mary into his home, while respecting the fact that she belonged exclusively to God."
-Redemptoris Custos, p. 20
Without faith, we are tempted to look for the satisfaction of our (intense) desire for (intimate and infinite) love here and now. With faith and hope, we direct our longing to something bigger than what we see and feel . . . Faith and hope, even if they require a sacrifice of immediate gratification, draw us out of ourselves and carry us beyond this time to a place where God exists.
. . . As lofty and spiritual as this formation sounds, it is carried out in the simple circumstances of human lives. It is first experienced in the family.
. . . Our Father loves us so much that He is ready, willing, and able to provide for us everything that will actually fill our hearts.
What strings are attached to the love I give others?
My love sometimes comes with it an expectation that the people I give love to reciprocate. That they are receptive and gracious and "return the favor." In that sense, it is not a free gift.
There are many ways my mind can have me focus on how someone else's response to my love is lacking. In the ways that I harbor resentment or grasp at what is only another's to give, my gifts are not free. I am no longer loving the way God loves me.
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