When the Grace is greater the love is greater as a result of Greater knowledge.
The word Theophilus means “God-Lover”.
And I have been reflecting on that word today.
I recently heard a story about some Christian missionaries in Africa. When they first arrived in Africa, they began distributing Bibles to the local population as a way to start spreading the good news about God.
The local population took a copy of the Bibles and then disappeared for a few months. In a few months’ time, the local population began returning to the missionaries and requested more Bibles. When that happened, the missionaries became intrigued and began asking where the Bibles were being distributed.
To their surprise, they found out that the Bibles were not being distributed at all, rather the pages of the Bibles were being torn out and used to roll tobacco.
Seeing a complete lack of understanding about God and a complete lack of love for Him, the missionaries changed their ideas and approach and very soon began speaking to the local population about God Himself so that others too could understand God better and therefore know God.
And once the people got to know God a little better, they were able to understand how better to love Him.
And I have been reflecting on that today because I have come to realise that the only way to love God – to be Theophilus – is to know Him.
And this is why the Angels and the Saints (and of course the Queen of Heaven, the Blessed Virgin) are able to love God more perfectly than I do… Because they know Him better and in knowing Him better they can understand a little more of His goodness.
Obviously, no created being could ever actually know God perfectly. No created being could ever know or understand the magnificence of God completely. But through Grace, we are able to know Him better. And this is why when the Grace is greater the love is greater as a result of Greater knowledge.
This is why the Blessed Virgin – for example – could trust God so perfectly, because She loves Him so perfectly as a result of being “FULL OF GRACE”. It is the completeness of her Grace and holiness that allows the Blessed Virgin to have complete love for God and do whatever He wished without question.
And I have been reflecting on that today, because it seems that I must ask for the Grace to know my God more perfectly. Because if I could do that perfectly, then I would really have something with which to present my Lord and God. And then I too could be called Theophilus…
And today, I cannot really imagine anything more important than being able to love God in the way that He deserves… And so I pray for that special Grace today… That is my prayer.
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.