If there is one feature of the human experience which stands out, it would have to falling in love. While other aspects of our existence are integral components of what it means to be human, the reality is that no force in the human person has greater potential to inspire greatness and energize human activity than love. While love may not directly lead to this or that technological achievement or intellectual pursuit, it is love which forms the necessary precondition by which humans dare to dream. True greatness takes place within communities of like minded people pursuing a shared vision, and it is love which binds them together.

However, while human love has a beauty that stands apart from all other aspects of our created nature, the wise person always comes to a point in which all temporal realities fall short in a mysterious way. The heart longs for something more than the limits of nature. Thus, in all of the things that populate our existence, there is an echo of an even greater reality which seems to be buried just below the surface.

It is precisely in Jesus Christ that we discover that our finite and limited love is merely a preparation for a greater and more incredible love. We are created capable of receiving the Divine, and this gift of eternal life goes beyond the grasp of our unaided nature. By his Incarnation, Christ took on our human nature so that all humans might be capable of receiving his love. Through his passion and resurrection, he undid the knots of sin and death which choked and thwarted our ability to receive the Divine.

By entering into the mystery of his rising and dying, our hearts are made capable of receiving the love of Christ which transcends all created reality. Our effort involves us learning to prepare our hearts to receive this incredible gift with gratitude and humility. The more we enter into the mystery of Christ’s love and allow it to take hold, the more we discover a whole new mode of existence in Christ and through Christ. Instead of living by our own initiative, we become docile to the energy of the Holy Spirit surging from the depths of our redeemed humanity.

Today, let us fall in love with Jesus Christ. Let us open our hearts to him who has first opened his Sacred Heart to us. Let us allow ourselves to be captivated by his love so as to become his friends for all eternity.