In this encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI takes on this very question, so basic to understanding who we are as disciples of Jesus and what that means for us in the world. What is love? What kind of life does God's love call us to?

True Love

                Love is a natural, primordial element of human life. It brings man and woman together, binds parents to children, and friends through adversity. Pagan philosophers thought a great deal about love and carefully defined it. But there was more, and this "more" is revealed, first, in God's relationship with Israel.

• God reveals that He is not - as the ancient Greeks believed - an impersonal force of creativity and wisdom.

• God is not - as were the idols that pagans worshipped - unpredictable and self-serving.

• God is One who relates to us in love: creating us, sustaining us, and calling us to relationship in Him. 

Jesus: Love Itself

                In Jesus, this divine love in all of its dimensions takes flesh, dramatically and fully. There is no mystery any longer about what love is. Jesus seeks the lost and pours out His very life for them. As Pope Benedict writes, the place where this is all joins, where our understanding of the real nature of love begins, is in "the pierced side of Christ." This loving, healing presence is not just an image from the past, however. It's not just something to think about and hope for: Jesus is present now, in love.

                How can we find that true love and make it a part of our lives? Seek the face of love in Jesus, and make a personal relationship with Him the center of your faith.

• Meet Jesus in the Eucharist, where His love is poured out for you here and now - as it was on the Cross, as it was at the Last Supper

• Let the love of Jesus you embrace in the Eucharist adjust your vision so that you see others as He does: beloved brothers and sisters.

• Let your daily choices be led by Jesus' example of sacrificial love and nourished by His loving presence. 

The Fruit of Love

                Christian faith isn't about subscribing to ideas or joining a club. As all of the great saints reveal in their spiritual lives, faith is rooted in an encounter with a Person - the Word made Flesh. That encounter is one of love, in which we come to see how deeply loved we are by God who created and sustains us. That's a new reality, one that's very different from a world in which love is defined in terms of emotion, personal satisfaction, or even mere pleasure. It's a reality our deepest instincts tell us is true. We know that our deepest desires is for faithful, lasting love. We know that a "love" centered on seeking pleasure ultimately gives no life at all.  

                We also know that, as God has poured out love on us, we turn, nourished and energized, to share that love with the world. It isn't a burden; it's something that, nourished by prayer, we can't hold back. his love, or caritas ("charity," also described as "service"), is one of the three fundamental roles of the Church in the world, along with being a living witness to Jesus and worshipping God.

                From the selection of seven deacons in the Acts of the Apostles to the loving care the early Jerusalem Christians gave each other, this service of love has been at the center of Christian life. It recognizes the mandate that Jesus gives in Matthew 25: "Whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me."

                Personal piety, no matter how fervent or devout, is not the end of Christian faith. The Gospels and the witness of the early Christians are very clear about this: As we open ourselves up to others as well, to see them in their need and to love as Jesus did. 

                Charity, however, is not the only way to help others. Since many problems that lead to poverty and suffering find their roots in unjust social and economic structures, action to remedy these structures, so that they reflect the principles of justice, is a fruit of love. 

                However, the actual work for change in these structures, while important, is work that belongs in the political realm. The Church offers its wisdom and insight on this work, and individual Christian are certainly called to bring their won witness into the political sphere to effect change. But the Church itself, as the body of Christ, is charged by Jesus in the Gospel to attend most closely to those in need through immediate, direct, compassionate, and personal loving acts of charity.