There are four things fundamental to the psychological wellbeing of all human beings. Deep down inside we all want to be loved; we all need to receive love; we all need to love; and we all need to have our love accepted. For a Christian this shouldn’t be surprising, because Jesus taught that all the commandments of God rested upon love: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). He went on to summon up God’s instructions saying we should also love our neighbor as ourselves. In his parting words to his disciples, Jesus defined his love for them telling them “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you…” (John 15:9). He then instructed them: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

Let’s consider this love of God to which we are invited and consider how it fulfills the fundamental needs of the human heart and mind. Jesus says that his love for us is a reflection of the love the Father has given him. A love in which the Father withheld nothing for himself. The Father gave everything he had and was, his very essence, to his beloved Son. In the words of the Nicene Creed: “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God”. In this the Son was loved with a love which knew no bounds.

Jesus received the unrestricted love of the Father. In accepting this love, the Son possessed in himself the fullness of God and could rightly be called the divine Son of God, the perfect reflection of the one who loved him: “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

In turn, Jesus copied his Father’s love devoting himself completely to pleasing the Father, “I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 5:30). He loved the Father with all his heart withholding nothing for himself and complying fully with the wishes of the Father even unto death.

The scriptures tell us that the Father was well pleased with his Son: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). And in accepting his beloved Son’s gift of love upon the Cross Jesus’ love was fully received.

In this divine relationship we find the ultimate expression of our basic needs created in the image and likeness of God. By entering into this exchange of love, we can find the fulfillment of the deepest longing of mind and soul.

How can we do this? Simply, by imitating in faith the life of Jesus Christ: remaining open to God’s love poured out upon us, allowing it to penetrate our being, letting this love flow through our hearts and out to those around us and trusting that God will be pleased with our Christ-like love.

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Finding Faith is written by area pastors. This week’s column comes from Rev. Fr. Joseph Orr of Holy Spirit Catholic Parish, Lock Haven.