What is love? Is it always happy or is it sometimes sad? Yesterday, I witnessed several acts of love. I heard the passion of our Lord and witnessed a cross about the size of the “True Cross” process into our church and then I watched hundreds of people, in reverence of our Lord and His love for us, kneel down to kiss this cross. This was a demonstration of love from our community to our Lord for His sacrifice and His sacrifice was an act of His love for us. It is a great example of mutual sacrifice of oneself for another.
So I think the answer is that love is not always happy. Many years ago, I heard this very thing at a counselling session with my ex-husband. My ex proceeded to tell the counsellor that God is love and He did not want us to not be happy. The counsellor looked at him and said “Jesus died on the cross that was love, but it wasn’t happy”. You see that very act is a model for us that love is not about our happiness but about what we do for others, about our actions. That is what Jesus demonstrated for us when He died for us. He showed us what love is, sacrificing oneself for another. This is the love we should each practice daily with everyone we encounter, especially our family.
Yesterday, I came across a note my daughter wrote several years ago. She called it “Mom Love”. In her note she pronounced how much she loved me. She also mentions the ways that I show love to her by helping her through difficult times and encouraging her. It’s the small acts of kindness that we show one another that reveals our love to one another. It’s not our own feelings of happiness but how we nurture another and sacrifice our own needs for another. So as you reflect on the crucifixion today, the day before the resurrection, think about the act of love Jesus modeled for us by sacrificing Himself and how you can make sacrifices in your life to love others, not just your family and friends but the stranger next to you.
