Day 22: “The Law of Love”

Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

Matthew 22:37-40
“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’”

Reflection:

Jesus distills the entire law and prophetic tradition into two commandments: to love God and to love our neighbor. At the heart of the Christian life is this law of love—simple in words, yet profound and demanding in practice.

In the Scriptures and the Christian tradition, we see that love is not a single concept but a reality with many expressions. The New Testament, written in Greek, refers to several kinds of love: philia (brotherly affection), eros(romantic or passionate love), and agape—a self-giving, sacrificial love that wills the good of the other, even when it costs us. It is this agape love that Christ speaks of and models most fully on the Cross.

Agape is not about liking someone or feeling warmth in their presence. It is not contingent on emotion. It is an act of the will—a deliberate choice to love even when we are tired, wounded, or feel nothing at all. This is why Jesus can command love: not as sentiment, but as decision.

St. Thomas Aquinas writes:
“To love is to will the good of the other.” (Summa Theologiae, I-II, q.26, a.4)

This understanding liberates us from the tyranny of our emotions. We may not always feel loving, but we can choose to love by being patient, forgiving, and generous, especially with those who challenge us most.

The Desert Fathers lived this love in the silence of the desert, but not in isolation. They knew that loving others—even the difficult ones—was the clearest path to God. Abba Dorotheus of Gaza taught:
“The closer we come to our neighbor, the closer we come to God.”
(Apophthegmata Patrum, Dorotheus 2)

And St. John of the Cross, in his mystical depth, offers this piercing reminder:
“In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.” (Sayings of Light and Love, 59)

When we are hurt or weary, when love feels far from our grasp, it helps to remember: God never asks of us what He does not give the grace to fulfill. If Christ calls us to love—even enemies—it is because He Himself will sustain us in that call.

As we pray today, let us not be discouraged by the difficulty of love, but strengthened in the knowledge that it is in loving—especially when it is hard—that we become most like Christ.

Reflection Questions:

1. In what situations do I find it hardest to love, and how can I choose love as an act of the will in those moments?

2. What is one concrete way I can show agape love to someone in my life today?

3. How can I ask God to help me grow in this self-giving love, especially in prayer?

Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You have shown us the perfection of love in laying down Your life. Teach us to love not just in feeling, but in will—choosing always what is good and true, even when it costs us. May our love for You be visible in how we love others, and may this love become a reflection of Your heart in the world. Amen.