Community, Unity, Love

The Holy Father often uses his time during his Wednesday General Audiences to teach about the great saints. Yesterday (September 9), he preached about St. Peter Damian, the 11th-century monk, reformer, and "intrepid man of the Church," according to Pope Benedict XVI.

There were two very profound thoughts in the pope's talk, as related by the Vatican News Service. First, he spoke about St. Peter's life as a hermit, where he sought solitude and rigorous self-denial and penance as a way to break his ties to the world and deepen his communion with the Lord. Pope Benedict added:

"Today too, even if we are not monks, it is important to know how to create silence within ourselves in order to listen to the voice of God. ... Learning the Word of God in prayer and meditation is the path of life."

For most of us, silence is difficult. But it can't be a luxury, for indeed God uses the silence to speak to us. Even in our public prayer, the liturgy, silence is required so that we may hear the Lord's voice and let it speak to our inmost being.

However, as Christians, we don't live for ourselves only. As wonderful as our communion with the Lord may be, it calls us to something more. Pope Benedict continued:

"[C]ommunion with Christ creates a unity of love among Christians..."

How many times have we heard people (including ourselves), in faithful zeal and love of the Lord, deny this Communion not in word, but in lack of love? We speak often of the secularization of society and the Church. Perhaps this is most clear when the language of division encroaches upon our Church. In our country, this often is fueled by political differences as well.

I sometimes pray that I may see others as the Lord sees them. We know that God has created all people in his image and that each life is important. He loved us first (I John 4:19), even before we loved him and he will love us to the end (John 13:1). He loves us with all our faults, yet he wishes us to overcome these; he loves us even while in sin, but he seeks our repentance; he loves us even while in darkness, but he leads us to the light.

And what is love? According to the Apostle Paul (I Cor. 13:4-13) it is patient, kind, neither jealous nor pompous, not inflated or rude, it is not selfish and not quick-tempered, and doesn't brood over injury. Love doesn't rejoice when things go wrong but in the truth. It endures for ever in hope.

For me, this is how I discern a person's message of faith (including my own). Are they (or I) kind and patient? If the answer is "yes," love is there (and God is love). Are they arrogant and pompous? Rude, rash, selfish? If so, then love is not there. And when love isn't there, it doesn't let us off the hook. We still have to love that person or those people who may dislike us or even hate us.

This is a life-long project (at least it is for me!). Pope Benedict's words about St. Peter Damian help keep us focused and remember:

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. (I John 4:7-8, NAB)