To love God

Friday 3 of Lent

Readings: Hosea 14:2-10; Psalm 81; Mark 12:28-34

It is impossible to fulfil the commandment of love. Love is necessarily a relationship of equals and I am by no means equal to God. For me to love God is as unrealistic as it is for a cup of coffee to love me, and even more so: the gap between God and creation cannot be bridged. Why then, does Christ tell the scribe that the first commandment is ‘to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength’ (Mark 12:30)?

Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, equal in divinity with the Father. When Jesus says that the Father loves him, or that he loves the Father, it is no metaphor (as it is when, for example, I say: ‘I love coffee’).

Shall we despair then? Are we left out of this wondrous exchange of love? Are we doomed to be ever looking out for healing from our creature-hood? By no means! The coming of Christ, who is both true God and a true human being, brought an end to all despair. Now, being members of His body, the Church, we have a share in the Father’s love, the Holy Spirit. We read in Scripture: ‘See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are’ (1 John 3:1).

Since we are God’s children, it is in the Holy Spirit, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that we can really love the Father (Romans 8:16). For the first time since the beginning ...