Does our world hunger for love? Wealth, comfort, and distraction may satisfy for a moment, but they cannot fill this deeper need. Each of us can recognize that longing in the quiet places of the heart—the sense that something precious is missing.
St. Teresa of Calcutta often spoke of this hunger: “There are many, many people—old people, crippled people, [mentally ill] people, people who have no one, nobody to love them—they are hungry for love. And maybe that kind of hunger is in your own home, your own family.”
How can this hunger be satisfied? Turn to God, the source of infinite love, “for God is love” [1 John 4:8]. Yet many still live without love—and without God—because they have not yet encountered the One who alone can truly satisfy the heart.
Love Is More Than a Feeling
Love is more than warmth or affection. It is the daily choice to place another person’s needs before our own. It asks whether we are willing to offer our time, talents, and treasure to help others without expecting anything in return. Jesus Christ—God’s love made manifest—shows us the way.
God became man—in Christ our Savior—so that we might have life through Him. Jesus teaches us to love one another as God loves us: “If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us” [1 John 4:12].
To know Christ is to know God and to encounter His nearness, grace, and deliverance. Scripture calls us to grow steadily in faith: “make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love” [2 Peter 1:5–7].
Without God, we become constrained by doubt, mistrust, and the conditions we place on love. Time and again, we see what happens when people choose their own way instead of the love Our Lord calls us to receive and share. Scripture reminds us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths” [Proverbs 3:5–6].
Share the Fruits of Love
When our hearts are united with Our Lord, we can share the fruits of God’s love by allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us. The Holy Spirit renews our hearts and minds so that God’s love becomes visible in our daily living—with joy, peace, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, and faithful service. Whether we volunteer, mentor, check on neighbors, or offer companionship, our every act “should be done with love” [1 Corinthians 16:14].
Therefore, when we abide in Scripture and follow Jesus’ commands, our actions reflect His grace to this divided world. In divisive times, the hunger for love becomes even more visible. Sharing the fruits of God’s love as Jesus taught us nourishes those who give and those who receive in ways the world cannot.
May this nourishment quell anxious hearts and give strength to live the Gospel each day. “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” [Philippians 4:6–7]. Amen!
