Our hearts are shaped by what we love.
Some attachments are obvious: possessions, comforts, recognition, or control. Others are hidden beneath seemingly good desires, such as wanting to be understood, appreciated, or treated fairly.
St. John of the Cross does not teach us to stop loving created things. Rather, he invites us to love everything in its proper relationship to God.
When we cling to something as though our happiness depends upon it, that attachment begins to govern our freedom.
But when God becomes the center of our love, we become free to receive His gifts without possessing them and to love others without demanding that they fulfill us.
The question is not simply, "What must I give up?"
It is, "What am I holding so tightly that I cannot open my hands to God?"
Practice: Notice one moment of frustration today. Ask yourself what desire or expectation lies beneath it.
Prayer: Lord, order my loves according to Your heart. Teach me to hold everything with gratitude and nothing apart from You. Amen.
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