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Vigils Reading
July 9
THE HIGHEST PROOF OF LOVE
An excerpt from Lumen Gentium3
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‘God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God abides in
him’. God has poured out his love in our hearts through the Holy spirit who has
been given to us; therefore the first and most necessary gift is charity, by which
we love God above all things and our neighbor because of him. But if charity is
to grow and fructify in the soul like a good seed, each of the faithful must
willingly bear the word of God and carry out his will with deeds, with the help
of his grace; he must frequently partake of the sacraments, chiefly the
Eucharist, and take part in the liturgy; he must constantly apply himself to
prayer, self-denial, active brotherly service and the practice of all the virtues.
This is because love, as the bond of perfection and fullness of the law, governs,
gives meaning to, and perfects all the means of sanctification. Hence the true
disciple of Christ is marked by love both of God and of neighbor.
Since Jesus, the Son of God, showed his love by laying down his life for
us, no one has greater love than he who lays down his life for him and his
brothers. Some Christians have been called from the beginning, and will always
be called, to give this greatest testimony of love to all, especially to persecutors.
Martyrdom makes the disciple like his master, who willingly accepted death for
the salvation of the world, and through it he is conformed to him by the
shedding of blood. Therefore the Church considers it the highest gift and
supreme test of love. And while it is given to few, all however must be prepared
to confess Christ before men and to follow him along the way of the cross amidst
persecutions which the Church never lacks.
3 Vatican Council II. ed Austin Flannery,OP. Costello Publishing Co., NY, 1981, pp. 400-401.