TOP 20 QUOTES ON LOVE IN AMORIS LAETITIA
As we all know, LOVE, is and must be the ORIGIN, SOUL, and MOTOR OF ALL VIRTUES, which in turn, are nothing but various manifestations of love, as St. Augustine had in mind when he defined the moral virtues.
As such, let us FREQUENTLY REVIEW and MEDITATE on the following quotes/ideas on love in the family written by Pope Francis in his letter Amoris laetitia in order TO APPLY THEM DAILY IN OUR FAMILY LIFE.
Let us ask OUR LORD TO GRANT US THE LOVE BY WHICH HE WANTS US TO LOVE HIM AND THE PEOPLE AROUND US AS WELL.
GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT, YOU WHO ARE THE LOVE WHICH PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER AND THE SON, MAKE US LOVE LIKE OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST DID!
MOTHER MARY, QUEEN OF THE FAMILIES, ST. JOSEPH, MASTER OF INTERIOR LIFE, PRAY FOR US!
Fr. Rolly Arjonillo, priest of Opus Dei, May 14, 2016, afternoon before Pentecost Sunday.
N.B. Most of the ideas were taken verbatim from Amoris Laetitia. I indicated the numbers of the paragraphs at the end from which the quote or idea was taken for your reference and omitted the quotation marks and footnotes to facilitate reading. Caps mine.
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- LOVE IS PATIENT. Patience is a quality which makes one act not on impulse and avoids giving offense. Love leads one to compassionately accept the other person even when he or she acts differently than I would like and has the right to live in this world just as they are. (AL, nos. 91-92)
- LOVE IS KIND. IT IS AT THE SERVICE OF OTHERS. Love benefits and helps others, always ready to serve them and to do them good even if one does not feel like doing so. (93-94)
- LOVE HAS NO ROOM FOR ENVY NOR JEALOUSY. TRUE LOVE VALUES THE OTHER PERSON’S ACHIEVEMENTS, WITHOUT SEEING HIM AS A THREAT BUT RECOGNIZING HIS GIFTS AND HIS UNIQUE PATH IN LIFE. WHILE STRIVING TO DISCOVER ONE’S OWN ROAD TO HAPPINESS LOVE ALLOWS OTHERS TO FIND THEIRS. Love inspires a sincere esteem for every human being and the recognition of his or her own right to happiness. (95-96)
- LOVE IS NOT BOASTFUL. It refrains from speaking too much about oneself and is focused on others. It understands, shows concern embraces the weak because love is founded on humility. (97-98)
- LOVE IS NOT RUDE. It is gentle, thoughtful, pleasing and not harsh, abrasive or rigid. It abhors making others suffer. Rather, it is courteous, sensitive and respectful of the other’s freedom leading one to wait until the other opens the door of his/her heart. For this, a KIND LOOK is essential. (99-100)
- LOVE IS GENEROUS. It does not seek its own interest nor seek what is its own. Rather, IT DESIRES TO LOVE MORE RATHER THAN TO BE LOVED, EXPECTING NOTHING IN RETURN. (101-102).
- LOVE IS NOT IRRITABLE OR RESENTFUL. It OVERCOMES THAT INTERIOR HOSTILITY which causes hurt and alienation. Before annoyance, LOVE LEADS ONE TO ASK GOD TO BLESS, FREE AND HEAL THAT PERSON. LOVE FIGHTS EVIL, ANGER, UNJUST INDIGNATION, AND SAYS “NO” TO VIOLENCE IN THE HOME. (103-104).
- LOVE FORGIVES. It DOES NOT ALLOW ILL-WILL OR RESENTMENT TO TAKE ROOT IN ONE’S HEART but SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND OTHER PEOPLE’S WEAKNESSES and OPEN TO UNDERSTANDING, TO FORBEARANCE, TO PARDON, AND TO RECONCILIATION. All these requires having personally experienced God’s forgiveness in order to imitate Him in our dealings with others. (105-108)
- LOVE REJOICES AT THE GOOD OF OTHERS when it sees their dignity and values, their abilities and good works. It DOES NOT COMPARE NOR COMPETE, nor rejoice in the failure of others. WHEN IT SEES OTHERS HAPPY, IT LEADS ONE TO BE HAPPY AS WELL, GIVE GLORY TO GOD AND CELEBRATE IT IN THE FAMILY. (109-110).
- LOVE “BEARS ALL THINGS”. This is more than simply putting up with evil. It has to do with the use of the TONGUE. It HOLDS ONE’S PEACE WITH THE IMPERFECTION OF THE OTHER SPOUSE. It LIMITS JUDGMENTS, AVOIDS A RUTHLESS CONDEMNATION AND SLANDER. Rather, it SPEAKS WELL OF THE OTHER SPOUSE AND SHOWS HIS GOOD SIDE. It prefers to KEEP SILENT rather than speak ill of the other. (111-113).
- LOVE BELIEVES ALL THINGS. Love TRUSTS, it sets free, it DOES NOT TRY TO CONTROL, POSSESS AND DOMINATE EVERYTHING, thus, fostering INDEPENDENCE, SINCERITY AND TRANSPARENCY in marriage and family life. (114-115).
- LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS. It DOES NOT DESPAIR of the future. It KNOWS THAT OTHERS CAN CHANGE, MATURE and radiate unexpected beauty and untold potential and believes that GOD MAY WELL MAKE CROOKED LINES STRAIGHT AND DRAW SOME GOOD FROM THE EVIL we endure in this world (116-117).
- LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS. It BEARS EVERY TRIAL WITH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE. It stands FIRM in hostile surroundings, ready to confront any hostile challenge committed to do good.
- LOVE NEVER GIVES UP IN THE DARKEST HOUR. It DOES NOT YIELD TO RESENTMENT, SCORN FOR OTHERS OR THE DESIRE TO HURT or to gain some advantage (118-119).
- WHAT IS CONJUGAL LOVE? THIS IS THE LOVE BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE, A LOVE SANCTIFIED, ENRICHED AND ILLUMINATED BY THE GRACE OF THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE. It is an “affective union”, spiritual and sacrificial, which combines the warmth of friendship and erotic passion, and ENDURES LONG AFTER EMOTIONS AND PASSION SUBSIDE (120-122). CONJUGAL LOVE COMMITS TO A LIFELONG SHARING AS EXPRESSED BY THE MARRIAGE VOWS. It is a covenant before God that calls for fidelity. IT REQUIRES A DAILY REBIRTH, RENEWAL AND REINVENTION, A CONSTANT PROCESS OF GROWTH. (123-125).
- IN MARRIAGE, THE JOY AND BEAUTY OF LOVE HAS TO BE CULTIVATED AND IS A SHARED EFFORT. Marital joy can be EXPERIENCED and can GROW AMID PAIN AND SORROW. It involves THE ACCEPTANCE OF MARRIAGE AS AN INEVITABLE MIXTURE OF ENJOYMENT AND STRUGGLES, tensions and repose, pain and relief, satisfactions and longings, annoyances and pleasures, but always on the path of friendship, which inspires married couples to care for one another: “they help and serve each other”. (126-130).
- LOVE REVEALS ITSELF AND INCREASES WHEN IT IS FREELY AND GENEROUSLY EXPRESSED IN WORDS AND ACTS. It knows how to say: “THANK YOU”, “SORRY”, “PLEASE” day after day. The right words spoken at the right time daily protect and nurture love. A love that fails to grow is at risk. GROWTH CAN ONLY OCCUR IF WE RESPOND TO GOD’S GRACE THROUGH CONSTANT ACTS OF LOVE, ACTS OF KINDNESS THAT BECOME EVER MORE FREQUENT, INTENSE, GENEROUS, TENDER AND CHEERFUL. Love is not idyllic; rather, it is REALISTIC about our limits, defects and imperfections, and to RESPOND TO THE CALL TO GROW TOGETHER, TO BRING LOVE TO MATURITY AND TO STRENGTHEN THE UNION, COME WHAT MAY. (133-134).
- DIALOGUE IS ESSENTIAL FOR EXPERIENCING, EXPRESSING AND FOSTERING LOVE IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE. Yet it can only be the fruit of a long and demanding apprenticeship. (136)
- TAKE TIME, QUALITY TIME. This means being READY TO LISTEN PATIENTLY AND ATTENTIVELY to everything the other person wants to say. It REQUIRES THE SELF-DISCIPLINE OF NOT SPEAKING UNTIL THE TIME IS RIGHT. Instead of offering an opinion or advice, we need to be sure that we have heard everything the other person has to say. This requires INTERIOR SILENCE. (137)
- LOVE GIVES REAL IMPORTANCE TO THE OTHER PERSON. It appreciates and recognizes their right to exist, to think as they do and to be happy. It does not downplay what they say or think, even one needs to express your own point of view. Everyone has something to contribute. IT PUTS ONESELF IN THE OTHER’S SHOES AND TRY TO PEER INTO THEIR HEARTS, TO PERCEIVE THEIR DEEPEST CONCERNS AND TO TAKE THEM AS A POINT OF DEPARTURE FOR FURTHER DIALOGUE. (138-141).
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