Closeness and tenderness are the strength of God’s love

07 June, 2013 - The love of the Heart of Jesus "manifests itself more in deeds than in words", "more in giving than receiving." “These two criteria are like the pillars of true love," Pope Francis said at Friday’s morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta residence, which was attended among others by employees of the Vatican Secret Archives. Describing the day’s feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as the ‘feast of love”, the Pope said that the love of Jesus is demonstrated in the image of the Good Shepherd who shows his love for the lost, the wounded and the sick sheep particularly through his closeness and tenderness. And this closeness and tenderness is shown in the figure of the Good Samaritan. This is a powerful love, because closeness and tenderness reveal the strength of God’s love. Explaining further the concept of love, Pope Francis said that it is true but may sound like heresy to say that it is more difficult to let God love us, than to love Him! But the best way to love Him in return is to open our hearts and let Him love us. He urged those at Mass to pray for the grace of loving God: 'Lord, I want to love You, but teach me the difficult science, the difficult habit of let ting myself be loved by You, to feel You close and feel Your tenderness ! May the Lord give us this grace. "