We are commanded to: "Love the Lord Thy God, with thy whole mind, thy whole heart and thy whole soul…"
Notice the use of the word "whole" in each command! This means that, to truly love Him, our entire lives are to be, day by single day, a continuing Act of Love, for Him, in which we offer every action, every care, all our joys and sufferings and good works for the intentions of His Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, the conversion of sinners, and the release of the souls in Purgatory.
This is what He means by our whole mind, whole heart and whole soul! Love beyond ordinary human love: "Love me more-oh, much more!-than human beings love one another." Why does He ask this? Because, as He says, "A love that does not exaggerate is not love; it is affection." And our greatest effort cannot even approach the suffering of His Sacrifice.
Two more reasons He wishes to be loved: "I desire to be loved; I crave the love of my creatures! When they will come to love Me, they will no longer offend Me. When two people really love each other, they never offend each other."
"Nothing is wanting in my heavenly beatitude, which is infinite, but I yearn for souls….I thirst for them, and want to save them."
There is an old saying applied to good people: "To know him is to love him." How true this is in Our Lord's case! Yet, hear now Our Lord's complaint and yearning:
"Ah! If only they [souls] knew my Heart….mankind is ignorant of Its mercy and goodness; that is my greatest sorrow."
Again: [Mary:] "O! If only souls knew Him better, they would love Him so much more."
The best way to learn to know Him is by offering Him acts of love and through fervent, unceasing prayer expressing the desire to truly know Him so that we may love Him better. "Your actions will have more value in proportion as you increase in love."
We then wait as He grants us the graces to come closer to His Heart. Over time this may produce the fruit we desire. HE wants this communication as much as we desire it:: "Ah, if souls only understood how ardently I desire to communicate Myself to them! But how few do understand….and how deeply this wounds My Heart."
"They [souls] have not understood My Heart. For it is their very destitution and failings that incline My goodness toward them. And when acknowledging their helplessness and weakness, they humble themselves and have recourse to Me trustfully, then indeed they give me more glory than before their fault."
If we can learn to love Him more than a wife, husband , children, brothers, sisters, grandparents, we will approach total unity with His Sacred Heart. Who among us loves Him to that degree now?
We are not to be discouraged, however, if we do not achieve all we wish in desiring and loving Him. He only expects us to do the best we can. As He has said to another holy nun, another victim soul of the 20th century, Sister Josefa Menendez: “I want souls so much to understand this! It is not the action in itself that is of value; it is the intention with which it is done.”
He will supply whatever is lacking from His bountiful, loving Heart and thus perfect our desire and love for Him. Begin today to desire Him with your whole heart. May He grant you the grace to find Him and love Him as He wishes to be loved.
“To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; to seek Him, the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement.”
