"Intense love does not measure . . . it just gives."

Everything comes from love, all is ordained for the salvation of man, God does nothing without this goal in mind.--Saint Catherine of Siena

Gospel text (Jn 3,14-21):
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

God wants us to be happy. The most elementary psychology tells us that a person who does not enjoy life ends up sick, both in body and spirit. However, our joy must be well founded; it must be the expression of serenity given by a full meaningful life. Otherwise, it would degenerate into superficiality and silliness. St. Teresa, most accurately, distinguished between "holy joy" and a "foolish joy". The latter is only external; it lasts a short time and leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Because God is love, He gave us freedom. He will not force a person to love Him. Because we are free, we can decide to accept or reject God, to be with Him forever in heaven or without Him forever in hell. The greatness of God's love implies the magnitude of our freedom. God's love implies the existence of heaven and hell.

God has loved you with a perfect, infinite, crucified love. This is an unchangeable fact. What are you going to do about it? Will you love Him in return?

We are free to ignore Jesus' Incarnation, crucifixion, and repeated knocks on our door.