“In the evening of life, we will be judged by love alone.” – St. John of the Cross
This quote distills the ultimate mission given to us by Christ. Because of His great love for us,
He sacrificed His life on the cross to save us. What wondrous love is this!
Jesus offered every minute of his life as an expression of His love for the Father and for us. His
heart was imbued with love whether working quietly as a carpenter alongside St. Joseph, sharing
a meal with his Blessed Mother, preaching to the crowds, or healing the sick. Every action was
an expression of true love; therefore, every act had power to heal, to teach, to evangelize. Once
we have given our hearts to Christ, we have the same mission: “For the love of Christ impels us
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all…” – 2 Cor. 5: 14
How does Christ’s love ignite us to love? What qualities of the heart do we need to carry out His
mission of love?
Tone of the Heart
Doesn’t someone’s tone make all the difference in how a message is communicated? The exact
same words spoken can be interpreted as genuine or sarcastic, insightful, or even dismissive – all
based on the tone of the speaker.
In today’s Gospel passage, the tone of the Pharisees’ question is made clear by Matthew. They
came to test Jesus. Their question was not made in earnest, but rather to put Jesus on the stand
that they might judge him.
Many times, as I examine my own conscience, I pause not only to consider the words I have
spoken, but how I have spoken them. What is the tone of my heart? Even as I go about the daily
tasks that require no words, still there is a heart tone. Do I see every act, even the hidden and
mundane chores, as an expression of love with the power to evangelize?
Texture of the Heart
When Jesus was asked about the question of divorce, he clarifies that it was permitted due to “the
hardness of your hearts.” Here it is evident that His desire for our hearts must be the opposite:
soft, moldable hearts, hearts that feel and respond to His touch. We need hearts that are not afraid
to love, to suffer, to reach out to the wounded and weary in the world. Christ removes “the heart
of stone from your flesh and give(s) you a heart of flesh.” – Ez. 36:26
Only soft, fleshy hearts have the capacity to be in communion with the heart of Christ.
Communion of the Heart
To have a communion of hearts we must seek oneness with Christ. From union with Him, all
else flows just like the branches receive their life from the True Vine. Marriage was meant to be
a sign of this intimate union between the soul and Christ, between Christ and His Church.
CCC 1617: The entire Christian life bears the mark of the spousal love of Christ and the
Church. Already Baptism, the entry into the People of God, is a nuptial mystery; it is so
to speak the nuptial bath.111 which precedes the wedding feast, the Eucharist. Christian
marriage in its turn becomes an efficacious sign, the sacrament of the covenant of Christ
and the Church.
This is why Christ spoke so strongly and passionately about marriage in this Gospel passage. It is
sacred because Christ and his Church are sacred. It reveals the truest desire of all hearts – oneness
with Christ.
Let us humble ourselves before our Father in Heaven who loves us with an abundant, infinite
love. Let us seek communion with our Lord in all things. When we speak, let us speak in Christ.
When we breathe, let us breathe in Christ. When we love, let us love in Christ.
“May whatever we do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus!” – Col 3:
17.
