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When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the
Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a
scholar of the law, tested Jesus by asking, “Teacher, which
commandment in the
law is the greatest?” He said to him,
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all
your soul,
and with all your mind. This is the
greatest and the first commandment. The
second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on
these two commandments.”
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Popular
music often reflects the feelings of people who are discovering love,
and
therefore the topic of depression comes up frequently. The
Goo Goo Dolls’ song "Black Balloon" seems
to sing about it. "Baby’s black balloon
makes her fly," they begin their song. "I almost
fell into that hole in your life. I go on as you get
colder." By the end of the song, there
still seems to be no relationship, although the person in the song
wants
it. They sing, "I’ll go on to bring
you
home, and I’ll become what you became to me." It
seems that both parties end up in depression.
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Unfortunately,
depression is often part of our lives. In fact, given the nature
of our activities that lead to marriage,
depression occurs with some regularity. With our custom of dating,
there is always the possibility of
disappointment, and if the disappointment is bitter, then despair and
depression can set in.
Whatever the meaning of the complicated song "Black Balloon," depression is not always the end result of sought-after love relationships. Although people may feel that their love relationships will end in despair, it is a fact that many wholesome love relationships manage to develop in our world. Strengthened with such an understanding, we should never allow despair and depression to dominate our lives. Jesus says that love is the "whole law," and the good news for the Christian is that the presence of love will apply to future married life as well as day-to-day living. When love directs our lives, then we begin to understand that no matter what the external circumstances, we can be happy. Love affects the way we think and therefore the way we act. When a situation arises that would normally move us to disappointment, and eventually even to despair, love seeks other avenues. It directs us to see beyond our limitations, encouraging us to broaden our horizons to include other solutions. Jesus wanted love to be the law of our lives. If we manage to make it so, even the ups and downs of dating and preparation for marriage can be a good experience. |
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THOUGHT
In
general, do you
think that the virtue of love directs the lives of most Christians? Yes or no and why?
PRAYER Good and gracious God,
your Son gave us the law of love, what he wanted to be the "whole law." Guide us toward love in our lives, a love
that will cover every circumstance, from the beginning of growth until
our old
age. Be with us, we pray.
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |