Thoughts from First Conversations of Cala Figuera:
In the very makeup of their person, every human being reflects a radical longing for personal love, which if observed intelligently and attentively always causes wonder because this need is directed to the very being and love of God.
To love is to see all persons, events and things from God’s perspective.
If one’s self is broken one cannot love.
To allow oneself to be loved is greater than loving. True love is nothing more than a response: “He loved us first.”
Sometimes the “pure of heart” are not pure in their intentions, and they amuse themselves by being paternalistic at every opportunity: they admonish without loving.
It is in the experience of love that one knows what is “greatest” and what is “best”.
To make love explicit the path is friendship.
One can fully come to know only that, which one truly loves.
We all need to grow (develop) in love, in work and in leisure.
1 Corinthians 13: 1-13:
If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away... At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
III. Fundamental Elements of the Charism: Love
Discussion Questions
1. Which one of the “thoughts” from the First Conversations of Cala Figuera is most striking to you, and why?
2. How do we make our love “explicit”, i.e., concrete during our Cursillo and in our Fourth Day?
