Tonight at homecoming dinner (weekly gathering of college students from my home parish) my new friend Chris shared, "We are called to love until we feel empty. When we've given all of our own love, that's when God comes in. At that point, it is His love that is being shown through us." With all true love comes the risk of true heartache. It is through Him alone that we are able to continue to love another even after our human heart has been so badly bruised that it feels completely empty.
Sadly enough, the relationships we put the most love into are sometimes also the ones that leave our hearts feeling drained. In fact, I was listening to Fall Out Boy's latest album not too long ago and came across some lyrics that spoke about this same phenomenon, "Sometimes, before it gets better, the darkness gets bigger. The person you'd take a bullet for is behind the trigger." There are moments in our relationships where the darkness can get pretty big. It is in those times where our hearts feel empty. But God never abandons us! We have the ability to overcome these moments of darkness. I'm sure you've either experienced this yourself or have witnessed it through someone else... Your heart feels completely empty and useless but you somehow manage to forgive and continue loving with the same amount (if not more) of joy and zeal as before. That is a miracle, my friends. It's a miracle performed by none other than the Holy Spirit.
I challenge all of you to welcome the Holy Spirit always, but especially in those moments where the darkness is big and your heart is empty. Our human love can only go so far, but God's love is never ending. He wants to refill us. Let Him.
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