Short-cut to the heart of God!

What does it mean to truly love someone? I keep pondering over this question, especially now as I prepare for marriage :) What does it really mean to love, to become love, to love as Christ loved (Jn 13:34)? I don't have a higher benchmark than Christ himself and His love for me. "...he first loved us..." 1 Jn 4:10. Folks, He really beat us at this game of love! While we were still sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). He didn't wait for us to be converted to express His love for us. Christ’s benchmark of expression of His love for us was Death – nothing short of it. And only so that He could win over sin and death, rise again and being seated at God’s right hand to be our advocate – our mediator, our intercessor (1 Tim 2:5)
I’d like to shift my attention to a saint I am particularly fond of – St. Therese of Child Jesus. She is called the patron saint of missionaries – and I often wonder why? I don’t think she ever preached a retreat – but her thirst for souls was unquestionably incomparable. She saw the heart of Christ and His thirst for souls. And she did all she could, gave all it took to pray for souls. We are all familiar with the incident of the criminal Pranzini, who repented before his execution thanks to the incessant prayers of this little saint. I guess intercession at times calls for a child-like obstinacy like that of Little Flower. Another saint I’d like to mention here is St. Teresa of Avila. Oh I just love this saint. She is called the most ‘obstinate of all saints’. She too gave all it took to let God’s will be done in her life. Thanks to her we have the Carmelite order, of which St. Therese of Child Jesus was also a part. Today, we have in these 2 ladies – 2 great Doctors of the Church, saints and powerful intercessors!
Let me come back to the focus of my writing today – love and expression of love. What is the first thing we are moved to do (action) when we love someone? I doubt if the answer is anything other than ‘prayer’. We are all moving towards what God wants us to become – Saints! Nothing more, nothing less. And what may I ask are these saints doing up there in heaven? Well, undoubtedly, they are ‘interceding’ for us – the Church Militant. From what I see, our journey to sainthood is rather simple. Just intercede! If we don’t practice doing this here on earth, we will definitely find it difficult when we take our places among the saints in heaven – the Church Triumphant. I like St. Therese of Child Jesus’ Little Way. She once said, “Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love.” She used to offer every small sacrifice for the sake of souls – an act of love.
Long before Little Flower, St. Paul understood the heart of God when he says, “First of all I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for rulers of states and all in authority, that we may enjoy a quiet and peaceful life in godliness and respect. This is good and pleases God.” (1 Tim 2:1-3) See what Paul is saying? That it ’pleases God’ when we intercede. Why does it please God so much? I believe this is because His Son is doing the very same this for us, sitting at His right hand (1 Tim 2:5).
We are all trying our best to please God and reach heaven. The saints found a perfect short-cut to the heart of God – Intercession! How blessed are we that we have a communion of saints who have gone before us showing the easiest way to God’s heart.