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Master·evangeli.net

Today's Gospel + short theological explanation

Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
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Gospel text (Mt 10:34—11:1): Jesus said to his Apostles: "... Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it ..."

What is "love"?

EDITORIAL TEAM evangeli.net (based on texts by Benedict XVI) (Città del Vaticano, Vatican)

Today —in our time— "love" means so many things —even opposed— that, more often than not, its genuine meaning cannot be perceived. We all want love, but not everything is love. Jesus gives us a sensible criterion: to love is like "getting lost". He who is not prepared to abide by the "toils of exodus" cannot love: love and convenience are actually unsuited.

The Trinity represents the essential love (the everlasting "To be for…") and man as image of God is someone who, by natural penchant, wishes to "give and receive love". A life to lose!: Jesus Christ describes His own itinerary, that which, through the Cross, leads Him on to His resurrection. When the grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can bear much fruit. The exigencies of Love do not leave me unbroken: I cannot limit myself to just keep being me; on the contrary, I must get lost, time and again.

—Jesus, Son of God, through the incarnation of man "you belong" to us; grant me the opportunity to follow your pathways of love "belonging to” everybody else...