tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post2085973794854139400..comments2024-03-17T22:48:00.427+08:00Comments on Reflections and Ruminations: When love is missing, even prayer will be seen as a chore.Fr Luke Fonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03079016104331055895noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-38954782532386935622017-02-28T08:17:46.845+08:002017-02-28T08:17:46.845+08:00Thank you, Father.Thank you, Father.marcusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-21949260743997287552017-02-27T17:53:37.633+08:002017-02-27T17:53:37.633+08:00You said, when we struggle with prayer, "we a...You said, when we struggle with prayer, "we are in truth really struggling with love and struggling to love." Personally this is a new and interesting but challenging way of looking at prayer! More so when love is seen in the light of St Thomas Aquinas definition...........and "the other" we are WILL-ing ourselves to love -is God. <br /><br /><br />Of course many would be horrified to admit that loving God is a struggle....( not talking about warm fuzzy feelings here) but it is. For an altruistic love most probably would entail sacrifices of time, energy, even resources on one's part for "Someone" that one cannot see except through the eyes of faith ?<br /><br /><br />Prayer speaks of perseverance, humility, obedience, a deep & abiding faith/trust in the faithfulness of God - (on our part) - that would make us stay engaged in this unequal relationship. It would mean that we subscribe to the belief that God truly loves us first as John would have it. ( 1 Jn 4:19 ...we love because He first loved us....) and we are merely responding to His love through our pitiable attempt at communication i.e. prayer. <br /><br /><br />Thus, I feel that one can only love in return & hence stay faithful in prayer because He grants one this favour or grace to be so pre-disposed. Perhaps, a good start would be to pray for the grace to be able to truly pray!<br /><br /><br />God bless u, Fr.<br /><br /><br />Tessa<br /><br /><br /><br />Sent from my iPhone<br />Tessahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04211998984286520369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-70862628165055705862017-02-27T10:48:50.197+08:002017-02-27T10:48:50.197+08:00This is really what makes this definition of love ...This is really what makes this definition of love so significant. "As other" means that all the good that one wills for the other is for the complete and unselfish good of the recipient of the love, with no self-interest or intention of getting any return to the giver. It is altruism at its best.Fr Luke Fonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03079016104331055895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-26011379529697284992017-02-27T09:20:27.249+08:002017-02-27T09:20:27.249+08:00"willing the good of the other as other"..."willing the good of the other as other". It seems to me, the last two words carries significant meaning, yet, I could not fully comprehend. marcusnoreply@blogger.com