LOVE IS HUNGRY [1]
JESUS SAYS, "But he to whom little is forgiven, loves little." [Lk 7:47 Douay-Rheims] If you say, I don't know of any sins, you are poor and blind indeed. If you say, my sins are nothing, you judge yourself as nothing by usurping God as judge. In either case, you have little or no love within you. For Jesus' words explain the divine law of love. If one is forgiven much, he loves much.
LOVE IS fed by God's forgiveness of the repentant sinner. Archbishop Franois Xavier Nguyn Van Thun was imprisoned by Hanoi henchmen after the fall of South Vietnam in 1975. Sentenced to a re-education camp, he spent nine of his thirteen years imprisonment in solitary confinement. In the midst of great suffering, he offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with tiny hosts and the palm of his hand for a chalice. He tells this story:
ONE DAY, one of the prison guards asked me: "Do you love us?"
I answered: "Yes, I love you."
"We have kept you shut in for so many years and you love us? I don't believe it ..."
I then reminded him: "I have spent many years with you. You have seen it and know it is true."
The guard asked me: "When you are freed, will you send your faithful to burn our homes and kill our relatives?"
"No, although you might want to kill me, I love you."
"Why?" he insisted.
"Because Jesus has taught me to love everyone, even my enemies. If I don't do this, I am not worthy to bear the
name Christian. Jesus said: 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.'"
"This is very beautiful but hard to understand," the guard replied.[2]
The archbishop loved much because he found much within himself to be forgiven. So look ardently and deeply within your soul! Examine your conscience daily! Make a habit of worthy confession, for love is hungry! And if you feed true love well in this life, will God fail to feed you in the next?
[1] September 17, 2002.
[2] http://www.zenit.org/: ZE02091707 09/17/02 and ZE02091621 09/16/02, Vatican City.