Who is like God? On Unconditional Love...

Because of a common, not a rare occurrence, of unrequited love, I am going to put forth a few tentative notes on the subject. In our Western culture, I have discovered over the years, that many more women who are Catholic and Traditional are single but should be married, as that is their vocation in life.

So, they have experienced one or more of three possibilities. One, they have never fallen in love. The young woman has never met "Mr. Right". Now, in some trad sub-cultures, I can see this. The same is true for some trad men. I know at least one man who would like to meet a trad girl that he might marry, but has not. He is very young, 24, so he has time. And, yet, he is a bit impatient. Not all communities of traditional Catholics have both single men and single women who have marriage vocations sitting in the pews.

Not finding anyone suitable is the first possibility. The second is a subject I have written on before, and that is the fear of commitment. This is the scourge of our culture, even in Catholic circles.  


But, I shall run on to the third possibility. Unrequited love. Now, according to psychologists, the vast majority of people have fallen in love with someone who has not reciprocated that love to the point of a proposal of marriage. Some women I know have fallen in love with trad men in their communities, but the love has remained unanswered. Unrequited love, as I have noted before, is a mystery. But, the one who loves is actually more blessed than the one who does not return the love, for whatever reason. Unrequited love may be the most perfect type of love, as it must transcend need and want. Love freely given but not returned gives its own happiness and peace, despite the pain of not achieving real friendship with the other.

All real love is from God, if one is in sanctifying grace. One living in and with the Indwelling of the Holy Trinity has the capacity for great love. And, most ladies who are trad that I know are capable of great love, as they really love God first and are living virtuous lives. Perhaps, if these women can understand the great blessing of being in love in the first place and love without return in peace and joy, they can realize that they are actually sharing in the love of God, Who loves without return in many cases.

The angels love without return. How many of us ignore our Guardian Angels? (Notice the cats in the painting.)


St. Michael's name means "Who is like God". I would venture to say that the person who loves freely without return is a little like God. Perhaps this unconditional love is part of being made in the image and likeness of God.


This will be a seven post day.