Love of neighbor

My spiritual reading this morning reminded me of some of the things that Pope Francis had to say when he was visiting with us the past several days. The passage was talking about love of neighbor as a sign of progress in the spiritual life, an “unselfish love founded on respect, a service, a disinterested affection that does not ask to be paid in return, a ‘sympathy’ or ‘empathy’ that takes us out of ourselves” and makes it possible for us to feel with our neighbor. (Olivier Clément, The Roots of Christian Mysticism, p. 270-271)

We’ve been speaking about the “desire for God” the past few days. This desire for God will also entail desire for our neighbor. Think of the two great commandments: love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Here is what Clément says about this love (and here it is that I can hear echoes of Pope Francis): “. . . the love of the Trinity reveals the other person to us as ‘neighbor’ . . . and to become a ‘neighbor’ is to side with Christ, since he identifies himself with every human being who is suffering, or rejected, or imprisoned, or ignored.

Here is a possible exercise for you. Consider a person, any person, whom you find it difficult to accept and love as “neighbor.” Notice the thoughts you have about that person. Ask God to purify your thoughts. Meanwhile, with an act of will, begin to allow your own contempt to melt away and be replaced by this love of God, the God who created your neighbor and gave him a nature which is very different than your own.

You might even find yourself praying from Psalm 123: Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy. We are filled with contempts. Indeed all too full is our soul with the scorn of the rich, with the proud man’s disdain.