Valentine’s Day is just a few days away. It’s a time of year when society starts putting emphasis on expressions of love, with plenty of chocolates and roses to go around. But if we take time to dig a little deeper, we might find out what we really love.
“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” Matthew 6:21
You are what you eat. We’ve all heard that phrase, encouraging us to practice healthy eating habits. But what about, you are what you love? “The things that we really value in life, the things that we really go after in life, that tells us something about where our heart is or what we love,” explains Fr. Bob Pagliari, regular contributor to Morning Air®. But how can we know what we love?
If you had $200 of free money (and no debt or bills to pay) what would you spend it on? That’s the question that Fr. Bob poses to us. Our answer can tell us a lot about what we love.
What’s at the top of your list? Are you going to treat yourself to a new pair of shoes or an expensive dinner at a fancy restaurant? Would you invest in time with loved ones, like sharing a meal or tickets to a show or sporting event? Would you give to someone in need or a favorite charity? Would you donate to your parish?
This simple exercise is a good way to gauge where our priorities are. Do we think of ourselves first, or do we put God and others’ needs before our own?
It’s also important to consider who we put first in our lives. “We will become who we love, who we spend our time with, who we think about, who we want to be around. And that’s why we have to choose our companions wisely because their habits are going to become our habits. Their values are going to become our values and vice-versa,” said Fr. Bob.
Our lives are full of distractions and temptations that pull us in all different directions. It’s important to make sure our priorities and loves have not strayed. Fr. Bob suggests, “We want to step back from time to time and say, ‘What do I love? … Where is my treasure because that is where my heart is.’”
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27
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