Love must be concrete and daily ….. And he who says he loves God but doesn’t love others is a liar…
According to Vatican News, Pope Francis made these observations during his daily morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta, Jan 10, as he reflected on today’s Gospel according to St. John.
Recalling today’s Gospel, the Pope expressed how St. John does not mince word when describing those who claim they love God but hate their brother.
John–Pope Francis said–does not call them “rude” or “indifferent,” but liars. The Jesuit Pontiff went on to say how the Devil is the father of lies.
“I love God… and then I discard others, I hate others or I don’t love them, simply, or I am indifferent to others … John doesn’t say “you were wrong”, it says “you are a liar”.
“And this word in the Bible is clear,” the Pope said, “because being a liar is the devil’s way of being: he is the Great Liar, the New Testament tells us, he is the father of lies. This is the definition of Satan that gives us the Bible. And if you say you love God and you hate your brother, ‘you are on the other side: you are a liar.’ In this there are no concessions.”
The Holy Father explained that we are to love because God loved us first, just like a newborn baby is loved first by their parents.
St. John, Francis reminded, understood and experienced love, and entering into the heart of Jesus, understood how it manifested itself. Thus, in his letter, the Jesuit Pontiff noted, he tells us how we love and how we have been loved.
The beginning of love comes from God, the Holy Father reminded, noting: “If he had not loved us, we certainly could not love.”
“If a newborn baby, a few days old, could speak, he would certainly explain this reality: ‘I feel loved by parents.’ And what parents do with the child is what God did with us: he loved us first. And this gives birth and increases our ability to love.
This is a clear definition of love: we can love God because He loved us first.”
The Holy Father reminded that true love must lead to doing good and even getting your hands dirty in acts of love.
Pope Francis concluded, praying: “May the Lord teach us these truths: the security of having been loved first and the courage to love the brothers.”
