The War Within
by Father Brian J. Soliven on Sunday July 13, 2025
When Jesus was asked to name the greatest commandment, He answered with profound simplicity and eternal power: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind... and the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39). In this divine teaching, Jesus gave us not only the foundation of the Christian life but also the key to drawing others into the beauty and truth of the Catholic Church.
To love God with our whole heart means more than words or feelings; it is a radical surrender to His will. It is a life lived in holiness, prayer, and trust. This kind of love is radiant. When others see someone who is fully alive in God’s love—joyful in suffering, peaceful in chaos, humble in victory—they see something supernatural. They see Christ.
But Jesus did not stop there. He tied the love of God inseparably to love of neighbor. Why? Because true love of God overflows—it must be given away. And when we love others as ourselves, especially those who are wounded, lost, or searching, we become living signs of God’s mercy.
This is the heart of evangelization. People do not come to the Church simply because of arguments or traditions. They come because they encounter Love—real, sacrificial, healing love. And that love has a name: Jesus Christ. Through us, His Church becomes a home for the lonely, a refuge for the sinner, and a light for those in darkness.
So let us love boldly. Let our worship be fervent and our service generous. Let our lives reflect the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a heart burning with love for the Father and for every soul He came to redeem. In this way, we do not merely invite people to join a religion; we lead them to encounter the living God, present in the Eucharist, alive in His Church, and waiting with open arms.
Love God. Love your neighbor. And through that love, let us draw the world home to the Catholic faith.