The greatest love...

"Jesus says something remarkable to us: 'Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends' (John 15:13). The greatest love: to [give] one's own life. Love always takes this route: to give one's life. To live life as a gift, a gift to be given — not a treasure to be stored away. And Jesus lived it in this manner, as a gift. And if one lives life as a gift, one does what Jesus wanted: 'I appointed you that you should go and bear fruit' (John 15:16)."  ~Pope Francis, 5/14/13 Homily

Ave Maria!  Pope Francis said many good things in his homily during Mass yesterday as he reflected upon the day's gospel from St. John, chapter 15, verses 9-7.  The above is just one quote from one article.  You can read more about this homily in another article here, which reports the Holy Father as saying that "with Satan the payback is rotten. He always rips us off, always!" 

Pope Francis sure does tell it like it is.  He speaks plainly and simply, but we must not fool ourselves for his message is heavy with that "eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" (2 Corinthians 4:17).  As always, the choice is mine.  Will I live this day -- this very moment! -- in glory or misery?  Which will I choose -- the glory of love or the misery of self?

St. Francis de Sales ended his magnificent Treatise on the Love of God with his astute observation that "All Christian wisdom consists in choosing rightly."  May the Holy Spirit guide us to choose rightly, today and every day. 

Holy Spirit, “free us always” from “the way of selfishness, which eventually ends badly” and give us “a heart able to love with humility and meekness.”  ~Pope Francis