“I want to know more so I can love better.”

Father Mike Schmitz

While listening to Father Mike Schmitz on The Catechism in a Year podcast, it really struck me when he said, “I want to know more so I can love better.”

It is easy to strive to know those I like. 

God, beloved family members, dear friends, and even strangers in need are often easy to seek to know. 

But the people I struggle to love; the people I force myself to love, but often do not like are often not a priority to know. 

Which is crazy… how can I even begin to love without trying to know?

Yes, I could say I love them because God wants me to, but am I loving them the way He wants me to?

I often encourage myself to love when I do not want to, but hearing these words tonight forced me to think if I am even loving the right way. 

Praying for someone I do not like is easy.

Yes, it is good, right, and truly helpful in loving a creation of God to pray for them, but it takes far more of myself when I truly get to know someone.

When I am struggling to love someone I quickly ask God for help loving them, but I rarely attempt to know who I am trying to love.

I study God. I talk to Him to better understand Him, I listen to the teachings of His Church, and I work to serve Him in ways He has asked. 

While I often fall short in my attempts to serve God, I can honestly say I want to and I try to get closer to God, however, when it comes to some of His beloved creations I avoid getting to know and understand them despite asking God for a way to love them.

It was incredibly moving to hear these words of Father Mike Schmitz as I need to use the opportunities God has given me to get to know His people He is asking me to love.

J.M.J.