God First Loves Us- 5th Sunday after Easter(2025-05-25)

“The Father Himself loves you.” (Gospel)

My dear Brethren,

These words of the Gospel are absolutely beautiful. Have we ever deeply thought of this: God loves us?

God first loves us, in calling and urging, us sinners to repentance and love of Him. And we then begin to love Him, and He then pours into us charity and justifying grace, making us His sons and friends.

St. Augustin, the Doctor of charity, asks: “Does God love us because we love Him?; or rather do we not love Him, because He loved us? This is what the Evangelist says, “Let us love God, because God first loved us” (1Jn 4:19).”

Indeed, this is the very nature of God: “God is love” (1Jn 4:7).” St. Paul, visibly moved by this, exclaimed: “He has loved me and offered Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20).

“The Father Himself loves you.”

Having created man to His own image—a favor God accorded to no other living creature—it is with good reason that, in view of this unique privilege with which He has honored man, Sacred Scripture calls God the Father of all men. 

God is also called “Father” because He provides for us and over our interests, and thus, displays a paternal love for us.

God’s care for us is also manifested in the appointment of guardian angels. By God’s providence angels have been entrusted with the office of guarding and of accompanying every human being so as to preserve him from any serious dangers. Just as parents, whose children are about to travel a dangerous and infested road, appoint guardians and helpers for them.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites uttered complaint against God: “The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.” To which God answers: “Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? And if she should forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you in my hands.” (Is. 49:14ff.)

Lastly, as the Catechism of the Council of Trent rightly teaches, God is called “Father” because He has granted us Redemption (that is, salvation through the shedding of His blood). The creation of the world and God’s providence are of great weight in bringing into relief the singular love of God for the human race and the special care He takes of man. But far above these two shines the work of Redemption, so much so indeed that our most bountiful God and Father has crowned His infinite goodness towards us by granting us this third favor.

And this is important to remember, so as not to have a mere sentimental idea about the love of God. We could perhaps have a false comprehension of the spirituality of St. Therese of the Child, who declared: “My vocation is love” and who is always represented with flowers. But she perfectly understood that our loving God is a crucified God Whom we must love in return the same way.

This is one of her famous poems: “To live on love is not to pitch your tent on the summit of Mount Tabor. With Jesus, it's climbing Calvary, It's looking at the Cross as a treasure! In Heaven I must live in enjoyment, then trial will have fled forever. But in exile I want to live on love, in suffering. 

To live on love is to give without measure, without claiming a salary here below. Ah! I give without counting, being sure that when we love, we don't calculate! To the Divine Heart, overflowing with tenderness I have given everything.”

Conclusion 

My dear Brethren,

“The Father Himself loves you.”

This teaching compels our minds and hearts to contemplate more and more the paternal care and providence of God towards us.

Let us not neglect to approach God with filial confidence and piety, as a son to his Father.   St. Paul the Apostle exhorts us: “Be imitators of God as most dear children” (Eph. 5:1).

May the contemplation of the charity of Christ be a great incentive to love Him in return through faithfulness and generosity. Our Lady is our best model to be lovers of God. Amen.

fr. Benoît Wailliez