We find ourselves when we give ourselves. However, we do not give ourselves so that we can find ourselves.We give ourselves because love is sufficient in itself.God is totally selfless in loving and in giving.The closer we get to Jesus, the more we grow in love of him, the more we get to love all others.Indeed, like St Francis, we grow to love all of creation. His loving gave Francis the energy to continue to grow in his ability to love as Jesus loves. True love of God is liberating.It helps us to journey from being self-absorbed to becoming more self-giving.Our great role model for this type of loving is Jesus himself.He gave himself totally for love of God, others and all of creation.We hear so much about self-improvement and ‘contentment’ programs. This is not wrong, but it can become imbalanced.There is always a cost, a dying to self, in loving. This is liberating when we truly understand what it means. It is about letting go of the ego and the excess baggage that we carry. It is about purity of intention.It is about the call to holiness to which we are all called. It is about a commitment that leads to true freedom.
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