‘God’s Love Is More Powerful Than Anything in the World’

Last updated on: April 10, 2012 at 3:50 pm by Kathryn Jean Lopez

‘God’s Love Is More Powerful Than Anything in the World’ 2012-04-10T15:50:58-05:00 Kathryn Jean Lopez

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The title line comes from a new video from Fr. Robert Barron. His talk is in response to a Newsweek cover story (I suspect you know the one!). This message — that God’s love is more powerful than anything in the world — is the message. The one that our souls live and die by. The one that makes all the difference.

This most powerful love is a challenge. A daily one. An hourly one. Minute by minute. Word by word. Thought by thought.

Did you read Magnificat today? In it is a meditation from Jean-Baptiste-Henri Dominique Lacordaire, a French Dominican:

Striving for love all our lives, we never achieve it except in so imperfect a manner that our hearts bleed. But even if, while living, we were to achieve I, what would remain of it after death? After our death the prayers of our loved ones would follow us into the next world, a pious memory would still pronounce our name; but soon heaven and earth move a step forward, oblivion falls upon us, silence covers us, love’s ethereal breeze no longer ripples over our tomb. It is finished; it is for ever finished. Such is the history of man in search of love.

But I am mistaken! For there is one man whose tomb love still guards; there is one man whose sepulcher is not only glorious, as the prophet says, but whose sepulcher is loved. There is one man whose ashes have not cooled after nineteen centuries and who is born anew each day in the thoughts of a multitude of men. There is one man who is dead and buried but whose sleep and awakening is closely watched and whose words still vibrate with life, giving birth not only to love but also to virtue fructifying in love. This man has been attached to a cross for centuries; but each day thousands of people who adore him take him down from his thrown of suffering: they kneel before him, they prostrate themselves as low as they can before him, they kiss his bleeding feet with inexpressible ardor.

This man was scourged, crucified, and killed; but an unspeakable love resurrected him from death and from infamy; it placed him in the glory of a love that never weakens and that finds in him peace, honor, and joy even to the point of ecstasy. This man was pursued by an inextinguishable hatred in his suffering and in his tomb; but he asked for apostles and for martyrs to his name in every generation, and there has been no age without them. This man is the only human being ever to have founded a kingdom of love on the earth; and this man is you, O Jesus Christ!

This unspeakable love, as we meditated on this past Friday, is not just consoling but appalling. Because it is a challenge. We are called to be united to Christ in his love. To communicate that love to others. To be citizens in his kingdom of love, as the priority of our lives, as our truest identity. It’s the greatest consolation of our lives. But it is also the greatest challenge, calling us to conversion and renewal now and in a minute from now. As we hit midday and the evening. And why wouldn’t we submit ourselves to Him, if there is nothing more powerful? If the search for love begins and ends and reaches its fulfillment in Him? What are we waiting for?

Must Reads

Uncategorized

Did You Read Magnificat Today?

Easter

Fr. Robert Barron

love

Previous Post

April 9, 2012

Dolan on Politics

Next Post

April 10, 2012 His Practice Is Love

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category B16 Christian Persecution Christianity Today Culture Good Links/Must Read HHS Mandate Holy Land Must Reads Prayer Religious Liberty Uncategorized

Select a Month July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who wrote the majority of the Psalms?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Moses Asaph Solomon David