Pope Francis greets Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as they celebrate the 65th Priestly Ordination of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the Clementine Hall in Vatican City on June 28 , 2016 .
L ’ Osservatore Romano
Benedict then reminds us that the Eucharist draws us into Jesus ’ gift of himself to us . And that union with Christ is also union with all those to whom Jesus gives himself . He emphasizes that we can ’ t possess Jesus for ourselves alone . On the contrary , the letter of John which describes God as love “ should ultimately be interpreted to mean that love of neighbor is the path that leads to the encounter with God , and that closing our eyes to the neighbor , also blinds us to God .” ( 12 ) By contemplating Jesus as the visible expression of the invisible God , we learn to see with the eyes of Christ , which then enables us to give to others much more than their outward necessities ; rather we give them the look of love that they crave . ( 11 )
Pope Benedict ends this first section of his encyclical by reminding us that the commandment to love is not something imposed from without but rather is a “ freely bestowed experience of God ’ s love from within , a love which by its very nature must be shared with others .” Such love is divine because it comes from God and unites us to God and one another .
I began this article by asking the question : What message does our Church give not only to young adults but to all Christians about friendship and love ? Pope Benedict ’ s message is that philia , eros , and agape need to come together in our everyday lives . Only in this way can we avoid the hurt and disappointment of searching for love in all the wrong places . Only in this way can its foundational message — God is love — be understood , fully experienced , and practiced . Throughout this document , Benedict reveals that Christianity is not just a set of rules but a relationship with the Divine that provides guidance for our spirituality and our ministry of evangelization .
Dr . Patricia Cooney Hathaway is a Professor of Spirituality and Systematic Theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary . shms . edu 7