The Union of Mind, Will, and Heart
by Fr. David M. Knight
July 8, 2024
Fourteenth Week of the Year Monday
Lectionary 383
Hos 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22/Mt 9:18-26
Hosea 2:16-22: Hosea is the prophet who focuses us on spousal love:
God's love for his people has never been expressed more tenderly. Hosea began the tradition of describing the relation between Yahweh and Israel in terms of marriage. This symbolism appears later on in the Old Testament; and, in the New, both St. John and St. Paul express in the same imagery the union between Christ and his Church.
What is spousal love?
Love can be commanded and promised; therefore it is a free act. Love is a free choice to enter into a relationship. The choice of an enduring relationship is a commitment. Committed love is a moment of freedom that endures.
Relationships are defined by interaction. A relationship is just “professional” if we only interact professionally; just “social” if that is the only level of our interaction. It is shallow if our interaction is only superficial; deep if we share deep thoughts, desires and experiences. The dimensions of a committed relationship are determined by how we commit ourselves to interact. This is how we define the different kinds of love.
Parents are committed to care for their children, even to death. But not to share all their thoughts and feelings. Spouses are committed to do everything that leads to perfect union of mind and will and heart. This may take years to achieve. But spousal love exists from the moment we commit ourselves to keep trying.
Love is not the same as feeling. St. Teresa of Avila, who knew more about love than most people, wrote:
Love consists, not in having stronger feelings, but in having stronger determination to set our hearts on pleasing God in everything and to do the best we can not to offend him.
We have spousal love for God if we are determined to keep doing what increases our union with him in mind and will and heart. How common is this? How many Christians are willing to settle for less?
Relationships depend a lot on contact. In Matthew 9:18-26 a father asked Jesus to “lay your hand” on his daughter to heal her. On the way, a woman in the crowd “came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak.” On arriving, Jesus took the little girl “by the hand” and raised her up. If we don’t reach out to Jesus, we may not recognize him reaching out to us.
Spousal love is determined by what we reach out for.
We can reach out for life and healing from Jesus as Savior; for instruction from Jesus as Teacher; for strength from Jesus as Leader. Or for union with Jesus as Spouse. The Our Father leads us through all of these phases of growth.
Initiative: Let the phrases of the Our Father lead you through phases of love.
Reflections brought to you by the Immersed in Christ Ministry
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