Purify our love

Matthew 22: 34 - 40

Another 'test' for the Son of God: the Pharisees prided themselves in the knowledge of the law and the ritual requirements contained in the Torah. They had come up with 613 commandments from the Mosaic Law, and were always fine tuning these, to get their religion 'just right'. They were real religious perfectionists - probably number ones in the Enneagram system. Their compulsion was perfection - and for them this was directed towards a pious end (hence their blindness to it and their ability to rationalize their bondage) - their system of ritual laws.

Jesus narrowed the commandments down to two: these two form the foundation of everything else. Everything has to be seen and sifted and responded to through the grid of "love of God" and "love of neighbor". This is the simplest way of stating our faith, although it also makes it the hardest thing to follow faithfully. As humans we know the depth of our self centeredness. Before conversion this seems obvious as we long after the pleasures of the world. After coming to faith this core of self-centeredness is 'baptized' and transferred to our religious pursuits. We serve in order to feel good about ourselves or receive affirmations, we practice spiritual disciplines in order to experience spiritual pleasures and we love others especially if there is something in return.

I have been reading about the "dark night of the soul" as described by St. John of the Cross. He reminds us that the spiritual dark night is a way that God purifies our love. Initially we love for 'pleasure's sake'. As we are transformed through painful dark nights, we learn to love for love's sake, and even further along, we learn to love for God's sake. The self-centered ego is gradually healed of its need to take control. God becomes the true center of everything in our lives. As we meet these dark nights, and we surely will, may we cooperate with the Spirit's transforming work.