Reflections on Love

Oh God, I don't love you, I don't even want to love you, but I want to want to love you!
-St. Teresa of Avila

O love, be moderate, allay thy ecstasy,
In measure rain thy joy, scant this excess!
I feel too much thy blessing. Make it less
For fear I surfeit.
...
You see me, Lord Bassanio, where I stand,
Such as I am. Though for myself alone
I would not be ambitious in my wish
To wish myself much better, yet for you
I would be trebled twenty times myself,
A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times
More rich, that only to stand high in your account,
I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account. But the full sum of me
Is sum of something - which to term in gross
Is an unlessoned girl, unschooled, unpracticed;
Happy in this, she is not yet so old
But she may learn; happier than this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn;
Happpiest of all, is that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed,
As from her lord, her governor, her king.
Myself and what is mine to you and yours
Is now converted....

-Portia, The Merchant of Venice

Lord, if this be pleasing unto thee, let it be so.
Lord, if it be to thy honor, in thy name let this be done.
Lord, if thou seest it good, and allowest it to be
profitable for me, then grant unto me that I may use this to thine honor.
But if thou knowest it will be harmful unto me, and no profit to the health of my soul, take away any such desire from me...
Deal with me as thou thinkest good, and as best pleaseth thee, and is most for thy honor.
Behold, I am thy servant, prepared for all things; for I desire not to live unto myself, but unto thee; and oh that I could do it worthily and perfectly!

- The Imitation of Christ pg. 19

Need-love says of a woman "I cannot live without her"; gift-love longs to give her happiness, comfort, protection - if possible, wealth; Appreciative love gazes and holds its breath and is silent, rejoices that such a wonder should exist even if not for him, will not be wholly dejected by losing her, would rather have it so than never to have seen her at all.

-Lewis, The Four Loves

My Song is love unknown
My Saviour's love to me
Love to the loveless shown
That they might lovely be.
O who am I
That for my sake
My Lord should take
Frail flesh and die?

-Passiontide Hymn

Teach us to care and not to care.
Our peace in His will.

-T.S. Eliot, Ash Wednesday

What is this face, less clear and clearer
The pulse in the arm, less strong and stronger-
Given or lent? more distant than stars and nearer than the eye

-Eliot, Marina

Do not fear the conflict, do not flee it. Where there is no struggle, there is no virtue. Where faith and love are not tested, it is not possible to be sure if they are really present. They are proved and revealed in adversity

-St. John of Kronstadt