Each of us has a deep longing in our hearts: to love and be loved. Pope Francis said that the ideal of love is “the most authentic desire of our hearts.” The Holy Trinity is love itself: an eternal exchange of love between God the Father and His Beloved Son. The Holy Spirit, “who proceeds from the Father and the Son” (Nicene Creed), is the result of this fruitful and creative love between God the Father and God the Son. Each person in the relationship of the Holy Trinity is fully unique and fully God. The inner life of this communion results in perfect, holy love.
Through Baptism, we have the wondrous honor of participating in the inner life and love of the Holy Trinity: “The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rom 5: 5). The Holy Spirit, love itself, dwells in our very hearts. Because He dwells so deep within us, nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Read that again. St. Paul says that nothing, “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature” can take the love of God away from us (Rom 8: 38-39).
“The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, p.234
God the Father pours the Holy Spirit into our hearts when we receive the sacraments, especially when Jesus feeds us with His own Precious Body in the Eucharist. We can also receive God’s love in prayer and by reading and hearing the Word of God—Jesus Himself! (Jn 1:1)—in scripture. Of course, receiving love from others is another way to experience God’s love.
“We were created to love and be loved.” The ideal of love “is the most authentic desire of our hearts.”
Pope Francis
When our hearts are full of God’s love, we are meant to share it with others. This is how God’s love can be fruitful and creative in our own lives. We must pour out God’s love to our families, friends, our parish family, our communities, strangers we encounter during our day, the poor, the hungry—indeed, the entire world. What’s truly amazing is that this love never runs out. The more of God’s love you give away, the more love God pours into your heart. Imagine a beautiful cup in your heart being filled with and overflowing with God’s love (Ps 23: 5). This week, notice how you feel when you allow God to pour His love in and how it feels when you give it to others.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: how amazing that we have the honor and joy to love and be loved by You. Open my heart to love and be loved by others in imitation of You.