Be Catholic, Totally Catholic, and Be Not Afraid, by Sherry Antonetti

“Perfect love drives out fear.” (1 John 4:18)

By Sherry Antonetti, National Catholic Register, 3/14/20

Love is based on sacrifice. If we love only when we feel like loving, we do not love the person, but the feeling of love itself. So if we would love Christ, we must hold to his words and his teachings even when they prove difficult.

What does this mean in a time of pandemic? It means we have to stop thinking that dying to ourselves is just a sometimes thing. Rather, taking up one’s cross and loving one’s neighbor as one’s self is an always thing.

We have to stop thinking there’s a point where we’re owed, where we’ve given enough, where we can stop having to love, having to sacrifice, having to pour out our time, talent and effort on a world of injured, aching, angry, sad, wounded, sinful, struggling and lost. We also have to stop thinking we’re not the injured, aching, angry, sad, wounded, sinful, struggling lost.  ….

Read more here:  https://www.ncregister.com/blog/antonetti/be-catholic-totally-catholic-and-be-not-afraid