Love one another intensely from a pure heart

“Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love, love one another intensely from a pure heart. You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God, for: ‘All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the field; the grass withers, and the flower wilts; but the word of the Lord remains forever.’” (1 PT 1: 22-25)

Our Lord expects from us that we will love “intensely” and “from a pure heart.” When our hearts are not pure, we are focused on ourselves, more expecting that giving and more demanders than givers. When our hearts don’t love “intensely,” we stop loving whenever finding difficulties, looking for a new, fresh relationship instead of staying close and remaining faithful to the old one. “Love one another intensely from a pure heart” means “to serve” and “to give life.”

“The Son of Man came to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Gospel Acclamation)