Love is an Action

This week, Father's early morning homilies have been variations on the same theme: in the Bible, love is not sentimentality, not emotion. Love is an action.

A few weeks ago, he asked me to change how I viewed exercise. He suggested that instead of seeing exercise as a chore, that I view exercise as an act of Love for God, my family, and myself. I've been praying a lot about that concept these past few weeks, and this week I dusted off the treadmill and got back on. And every morning, I've heard more about Love as an action.

At the same time, I am really struggling in the Spiritual Director role for our CRHP (Christ Renews His Parish) team. My heart is not in it, and I am having a hard time even getting my head in it. Last night, after the meeting, I stopped in the chapel to pray before going home. Again, I asked the Lord why He picked me for this role. Again, I had no discernible response... until this morning, when Father spoke again about Love being an action. If love is not an emotion, a feeling, then it doesn't matter if my "heart" is in the Spiritual Director role. I was asked to do this role. I said yes. Now, I need to act.

When Jesus told us to "love one another," he wasn't referring to our emotions, though I am sure he wouldn't mind if we felt love for our neighbors. He said, "Love one another, as I have loved you." Jesus didn't get caught up in feelings, in emotion. And I don't recall any part of the Gospels where he worried that his "heart" just wasn't in the teaching or healing that day. He loved through gentle healing, through patient teaching, through forgiving, through righteous anger at times, and always through prayer. There was nothing passive about Jesus' love. There is nothing passive about Jesus' love.

What about my love?