“I love you even more than you love me” (Inner Word).
Between lovers such statements are sometimes used to express love for each other. The heart is fully awakened to love and wants to communicate in some way. But while it is difficult to measure the real degree of love in human relationships, it is not so in the relationship with our Father. It is always He who loved us first! His love precedes us and we can never surpass it.
But our Father does not mean by these words to devalue our love. On the contrary, He is a loving God who whispers them into our hearts to make us understand anew the greatness of His love and to confirm us in our love.
When sometimes there are those holy moments of overflowing love for our Heavenly Father, when our heart opens wide, He receives it with joy and it is as if He looks at us and says: “Now do you understand what it means to love? Look, there is a greater love: it is the divine love to which I call you. It can set your heart on fire so that you can love even more”.
We can grow in love for God and for others, in such a way as to fulfil these apt words of St. Augustine: “Only love understands the secret that by giving oneself to others one enriches oneself”.
Then, if we continue along the path of love and love until it hurts, the gentle gaze of the Lord from the Cross will rest on us and say: “Do you understand now? I love you even more!”