In this Best of the Week moment from Father Simon Says, Fr. Richard Simon points to Jesus, “moved with pity,” caring for both the mind and the body of the people He served. It's not sentimental compassion. In the same way He served the people around Him in His earthly life, Jesus teaches us and feeds us with love.

Fr. Simon continues: “Love is not what you feel. Love is what you do.” Feelings may come along for the ride, but love is an act of the will. Drawing on St. Thomas Aquinas, he explains love as “to will the good of another”, not just thinking nice thoughts, but actually seeking someone’s real good.

That’s why the Cross matters. Jesus did not stroll into Calvary with a grin; Fr. Simon reminds us that He didn’t want to be crucified, yet He obeyed the Father and offered Himself anyway. That obedience, God the Son giving His life for sinners, is love in its fullest form.

And it hits home in ordinary life. Love looks like putting your feet on the cold floor in the early morning to provide for your family. It looks like getting to Mass even when you’d rather stay in bed, because God has asked us to worship and to gather with His people. As Fr. Simon puts it, “Do it and then you might feel it.”

Fr. Simon tells the story of Jim Ader, a volunteer soup kitchen director who served for decades, feeding hundreds week after week. Some days he liked it; some days he didn’t. He did it because he was committed to Christ.

In the end, Fr. Simon’s point is simple: agape love is sacrificial love. The world may value what you possess, but the Lord measures what we give away.

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