Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength

What is the purpose of God's law or commandments? The Pharisees prided themselves in the knowledge of the law and their ritual requirements. They made it a life-time practice to study the 613 precepts of the Old Testament along with the numerous rabbinic commentaries. They tested Jesus to see if he correctly understood the law as they did. Jesus startled them with his profound simplicity and mastery of the law of God and its purpose.

Our love for God is a response to his exceeding grace and kindness towards us

What does God require of us? Simply that we love as he loves! God is love and everything he does flows from his love for us. God loved us first and our love for him is a response to his exceeding grace and kindness towards us. The love of God comes first and the love of neighbor is firmly grounded in the love of God. The more we know of God's love and truth the more we love what he loves and reject what is hateful and contrary to his will.

Faith and hope strengthen our love for God

What makes our love for God and his commands grow in us? Faith in God and hope in his promises strengthens us in the love of God. They are essential for a good relationship with God, for being united with him. The more we know of God the more we love him and the more we love him the greater we believe and hope in his promises. The Lord, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, gives us a new freedom to love as he loves. Do you allow anything to keep you from the love of God and the joy of serving others with a generous heart? Paul the Apostle says: hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Romans 5:5). Do you know the love which conquers all?

We love you, O our God; and we desire to love you more and more. Grant to us that we may love you as much as we desire, and as much as we ought. O dearest friend, who has so loved and saved us, the thought of whom is so sweet and always growing sweeter, come with Christ and dwell in our hearts; that you keep a watch over our lips, our steps, our deeds, and we shall not need to be anxious either for our souls or our bodies. Give us love, sweetest of all gifts, which knows no enemy. Give us in our hearts pure love, born of your love to us, that we may love others as you love us. O most loving Father of Jesus Christ, from whom flows all love, let our hearts, frozen in sin, cold to you and cold to others, be warmed by this divine fire. So help and bless us in your Son.

source: From the desk of Don Schwager, 

hosted by Kairos Europe and the Middle East

Lord, give me strength, wisdom, and direction

Heavenly Father,

You know every decision I need to make

and every challenge I face.

Please forgive for the times that I try

to figure this life out on my own.

I need You.

I need Your Holy Spirit

to give me strength, wisdom, and direction.

AMEN.

Strength of the Cross ~ Prayer

By Saint John Paul II, Pope

Holy is God.

Holy and strong.

Holy immortal One, have mercy on us.

Have mercy: eleison: misere.

May the power of Your love once more be shown to be greater than the evil that threatens it. May it be shown to be greater than sin�

May the power of Your cross, O Christ, be shown to be greater than the author of sin, who is called "the prince of this world."

For by your blood and Your passion You have redeemed the world!

God is our refuge and strength. and help in trouble - Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change,

though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;

God will help her right early.

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice, the earth melts.

The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Come, behold the works of the LORD,

how he has wrought desolations in the earth.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,

he burns the chariots with fire!

�Be still, and know that I am God.

I am exalted among the nations,

I am exalted in the earth!�

The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.