Chapter 1: Why We Should Love God And The Measure Of That Love
7. ON LOVING GOD – BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX (1100’S)
Chapter 1: Why We Should Love God And The Measure Of That Love
You want me to tell you why and in what measure God is to be loved. I reply, the reason for loving God is God himself, and the measure, is to love without measure. Is this sufficient? Perhaps, to a thoughtful man, but I am debtor also to simple persons. This word to the wise may be sufficient, but I should consider simple persons as well. Therefore it is no burden to repeat the same thing at greater length and in greater depth.
I said that God is to be loved for himself, for a twofold reason: nothing is more reasonable, nothing more profitable. For when we ask, "Why should we love God?" we may mean, "What is lovable in God?" or "What profit is there for us in loving God?" In either case, I answer that I find no worthy reason for loving God, except God himself.
And first let us consider how he deserves to be loved. He who gave himself for us without any merit on our part, merited to received much from us. For what better gift could he give than himself? Hence, if one seeks for why God deserves our love, this reason is the primary one: because he first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Should not he be loved in return, especially when we think who loved, whom he loved, and how much he loved? For who is he who loved? Is it not him of whom every spirit testifies: "Thou art my God, because you have no need of my goods" (Psalm 16:2, Vulg.)? And the love is that true majestic charity which "seeks not her own" (1 Corinthians 13:5). But to whom was such pure love shown? The apostle tells us: "When we were still enemies, we were reconciled to God" (Romans 5:10).
So it was God who loved us, loved us both freely, and while yet we were enemies. And how much did he love us? St John says: "God so loved the world that he gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
And St. Paul says: "He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all" (Romans 8:32); and the son says of himself, "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).
Thus has he who just merited from the wicked, he who is supreme from the lowly, he who is omnipotent from the weak. But perhaps someone will say, "this is true of mankind, but not of angels." This is true, for it was not necessary. He who came to the help of men in their time of need, preserved angels from such need, and he who by loving men, made them no longer remain sinful, so he, loving angels equally, preserved them altogether free from sin.