At the end of the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola asks the retreatant to enter in to the Contemplation to Attain Love. Ignatius gives two pre-notes about love to help the retreatant to understand the height and breadth and depth of God’s love, so that he or she might respond in full-hearted love. The first is: “Love ought to manifest itself more by deeds than by words.” Talk is cheap. It is the living out of love that matters. The second is: “Love consists in a mutual communication between two persons. That is, the one who loves gives and communicates to the beloved what he or she has, or a part of what he or she has or can have; and the beloved in return does the same to the lover. …Each shares with the other.” (Spiritual Exercises, 230-231. Ganss)
I have always been an avid re-reader of books, just as I also delight in re-watching favorite movies and television series. In some ways, this is due to finding comfort in the familiar and predictable, knowing that my imagination is not going to be assailed by inappropriate or untimely thoughts and images. But I have also learned that the pieces I enjoy returning to can be treasure troves, with new ideas and insights to be gained on each visit, and they can also be balms for an anxious mind over-burdened by the constant influx of the 24-hour news cycle.