Deus Caritas Est

Some people don’t think that their lives matter, that they originate in the stars but are destined to be nothing but dust. Before the final resurrection, this may be true of our bodies, yet our souls are so much deeper. They are, in fact, as deep as the pain of life can penetrate.

Christ reveals this on Calvary where he unveils the beauty of pain endured for love's sake. There, from his side, sprang forth mercy mingled with suffering, holiness wed to pain and love mixed with sacrifice. The cynics of religion like to ask “Where’s the proof?” Christ’s answer has always been “The proof is where it hurts.” Any parent or spouse knows this…that to love is to suffer for…to suffer for is to love.

When we are torn from all comfort, all pleasure, all self-seeking, when we suffer purely…that is when true love of God and neighbor begins. What great things we can do for souls! This is the promise of heaven hidden in a kernel of pain, a vast universe of glory for a small price.