Along with an array of incredible music, the composer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart passed on to us the following bit of wisdom: “Love,
love, love, that is the soul of genius.” It makes me wonder: Who are geniuses in
love, and what can we learn from them?
Jesus is the ultimate phenom when it comes to love, but
other people have been exceptional lovers too: Mother Teresa, Bishop Desmond
Tutu, and Nelson Mandela especially come to mind. What these geniuses in love
all share is the willingness to risk. Mother Teresa risked expulsion from her
order when she disobeyed orders from her superiors to teach and instead pursued
her calling to serve the poor. Bishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela risked their
lives in their efforts to end apartheid in South Africa. Jesus risked and lost
his life as a result of his faithfulness to his call to relay God’s love to the
world.
Sr. Megan McKenna has said, “There is no Eucharist without
risk.” We cannot be part of the Body of Christ without taking the risks that
love requires. Although our risk may not bear fruit in our own lifetime, the
soul of genius—love—ultimately will not be denied, because the God of love is
always with us. Let us continue in our efforts to become more fearless lovers
so that one day, after we die, others may say, “When it comes to love, she (he)
had the soul of a genius!”
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