Love is not a feeling, it is an act of our will by which we wish good
and not evil to another. We may have our personality conflicts and
emotional preferences, but we must seek to do good to all people. God
loves us even when we are committing sin. He expects us to love others
even when they do us wrong.
For many of us, this is a lifelong struggle. It is a struggle to
forgive as Christ forgives, to show mercy as God shows mercy, to wish
well to another when others wishes ill to us. We have the power of God
within us, since we have been begotten of God.
Practically speaking, love of neighbor is not always easy, but with
God’s grace it is possible. Love is man’s first calling. The Lord
calls us to give ourselves to bring true happiness to others.
As the Christmas season ends this coming Sunday, on the Feast of the
Baptism of Jesus, we should continue keeping the needs of others
foremost in our lives. There is so much we can do to show God’s love
to others. Even as the decorations are kept and the memory of
Christmas dims, we can still allow Jesus’ light to shine within us by
living the commandment of love for our brothers and sisters. This is
what Jesus calls us to do. We must actively participate in the mission
for which Jesus came.
