We should never lose sight of what Jesus said: that we should love   others as we do ourselves, choosing self-deprecation over self-glory. Indeed, many of us have a warped and unhealthy understanding of  self-love.  The right kind of self-love is not being selfish, but honouring the temple that houses God.  So, whilst we are asked to remain humble and obedient, there is absolutely nothing wrong with looking after ourselves, taking care of ourselves, and being gently on ourselves when times are tough.  After all, if we cannot do this, then how are we going to learn to bestow love upon others.

Love, then, is not easy. We are asked to love ourselves, to love others and to love God. If we are the ship, then where do we steer?  What chart do we use to point the way? Well, ultimately, we learn of God’s love through two fundamental channels: through Scripture, and through our family and loved ones. In terms of the former, then we are in a wonderful position to hear his voice through Scripture today and every day at Mass. The liturgical year is an unparalleled teacher of the Bible, as it presents to us a rolling story of God’s love year in, year out. In terms of the latter, then we must own the fact that we have a duty to tach love to those close to us, to pass it on. Too many times history has shown us how a widescale dearth of love can impact on entire generations.

And remember, that love is a doing thing, a verb. As the saying goes: ‘Love is as love does.’ When we pray let us thank God for the gift of his love and ask him that we may come closer to Jesus’ s ideal of human love in all that we do and say, especially around those who challenge us or whom we may find difficult to bear.