Love's greatest gift is its ability to make everything it touches

"Love's greatest gift is its ability to make everything it touches sacred." These profound words by Barbara De Angelis remind us of the transformative power of love—how it elevates and sanctifies the ordinary, turning even the most mundane aspects of life into moments of deep meaning. In a world that often focuses on material gain, achievement, and success, love has the unique ability to shift our perspective, imbuing everything it touches with a sense of the divine. When we love, we are no longer bound by the trivialities of life, but instead, we are connected to something greater, something timeless and sacred. Love, in its purest form, opens our eyes to the beauty and the holiness that exists in the world, in others, and even in ourselves.

In the ancient world, love was considered not just an emotion but a divine force that connected mortals to the gods. The Greeks believed that love, or Eros, was the very force that created the universe, a force so powerful that it could shape the very essence of existence. In Plato's Symposium, love was seen as a ladder that leads the soul from the physical world to the spiritual, elevating the lover to higher states of understanding and divine wisdom. Love, when truly felt, was not just a personal feeling—it was a bridge to the divine, an expression of the sacred. When we love, as Plato suggests, we are not merely fulfilling a personal need; we are participating in the very fabric of the universe, connecting with something greater than ourselves.

Consider the life of Antigone, the tragic heroine of Sophocles' play, whose devotion to her brother, Polynices, turned her actions into a sacred duty. In defiance of the king’s orders, she chose to honor her brother with a proper burial. Her love for him was not simply familial—it was an act that transcended the human realm and reached toward the divine. She believed that the gods' law, the law of love and duty, was sacred, and her actions, though condemned by the state, were made holy by the love that drove her. In this act of devotion, she saw her love as something that transformed her world, making her choices sacred, even at the cost of her life. Love made her defy earthly laws in pursuit of a higher truth, showing how love, when deeply rooted, can elevate our actions and give them divine significance.

Similarly, the love between Abelard and Heloise, though marked by tragedy and betrayal, was profound and deeply transformative. Their intellectual and romantic bond was so intense that it turned their personal suffering into something sacred—a love that transcended the barriers of time and space. After Abelard was castrated as a consequence of their illicit relationship, their love did not diminish; it deepened. Their letters to each other, filled with devotion, pain, and wisdom, show that love can turn even suffering into something holy, something that transforms the very soul. Their love, despite its earthly consequences, was sacred because it was true and unyielding, elevating them both beyond the limits of their circumstances.

Barbara De Angelis teaches us that love has the unique power to sanctify the world around us. It does not simply make life meaningful in an abstract sense; it gives us the ability to see the world and the people in it with new eyes. The ordinary tasks of daily life, when done in the spirit of love, become acts of service, acts that align us with something greater. A simple gesture of kindness, a selfless act, or a word spoken with affection can transform even the most mundane into something that feels sacred. Love makes us aware of the divinity in each moment, and in doing so, it connects us to the eternal, to the timeless truths of the universe.

The lesson we learn from De Angelis is that love is not just a feeling—it is a transformative force that touches everything it encounters. To love deeply is to see the sacred in the world. It is to live with a deep awareness that every action we take, every word we speak, is part of a greater whole. Love teaches us to honor the moments that make up our lives, to see the divinity in the everyday, and to treat others with the reverence they deserve. When we love, we do not just experience the joy of connection; we elevate the world around us, making it a reflection of something greater than ourselves.

In your own life, let love be the lens through which you view the world. Infuse everything you do with the spirit of love, whether it be in your work, your relationships, or in your small, everyday acts. Recognize the sacred in all things, even the most ordinary. When you love, you do not just enrich your own life; you transform the lives of others, making the world around you a more beautiful and meaningful place. Remember that love has the power to make everything it touches sacred, to elevate the human experience, and to bring us closer to the divine. Live with love, and you will find that your life becomes a reflection of the higher truths that govern us all.