Love is the child of freedom, never that of domination- Erich Fromm
Love gives itself, it is not bought. Brotherly love for all human beings; it is characterised by its very lack off exclusiveness. If I have developed the capacity for love, then I cannot help loving my brothers. In brotherly love there is the experience of union with all men; of human solidarity; of human atonement. Brotherly love is based on the experience that we all are one. The differences in talents, intelligence and knowledge are negligible in comparison with the identity of the human core common to all men. Love is always building up. It puts some line of beauty on every life it touches. It gives new hope to discouraged ones, new strength to those who are weak, new joys to those who are sorrowing. It makes life seem more worthwhile to everyone into whose eyes it looks. All true love is grounded on esteem. The heart of him who truly loves is a paradise on earth; he has God in himself, for God is love. From the fact that one knows, and because one loves, one desires to possess that which one loves. And this is a sign of true love, that he who loves, transforms not a part of himself merely, but his whole being in to the beloved.
All loves should be stepping stones to the love of God. A spark of pure love is more precious before God, more useful for the soul and more rich in benedictions. Love consists not in feeling great things, but in having great detachment and in suffering for the Beloved. Love and concern have no limits; Love and concern have no relatives; Love and concern embrace all, and in a special way, those who suffer, those who have no one to assist and those who are abandoned.
There is a story being told about two poor lovers. The girl had a lovely golden hair and that was the best thing she had. The boy had a lovely wrist watch, but without a strap. Both loved each other very much. On valentine’s day, they wanted to give a gift to each other, but they had no money. Somehow they managed to buy gifts and presented them each other. When the boy opened the gift, he was thrilled to find a lovely strap for his wristwatch. When the girl opened her gift, she found a golden hair band. But the tragedy was that she had no hair, for she had cut and sold her beautiful golden hair to buy the strap which her lover needed, and he, on his part had sold his strapless watch in order to buy the golden hair band. Each offered something wonderful for the other.
Love has no meaning if it isn’t shared. Love has to be put in to action. You have tom love without expectation, to do something for love itself, not for what you may receive,” reminds Mother Teresa of Kolkata.
“We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.” Goethe
