True Love Is Selfless, Never Selfish

Our Lady of Sorrows

In today’s modern world, the word “love” has been diluted into a pursuit of comfort and fleeting pleasure. It’s no longer rooted in deep devotion, loyalty, sacrifice, or a higher calling. Instead, love has been reduced to a feeling—something to be pursued when convenient and discarded when difficult. Many in our society are unsure what love truly is. But the Roman Catholic Church, in her wisdom, gives us a clear and enduring vision:

“To love is to will the good of another” – CCC 1766

This type of love is not centered on self. It seeks the other’s good, even at a cost. It is self-giving, not self-serving. Sadly, society has confused love with personal gratification, a desire to eliminate anything uncomfortable or inconvenient. In this worldview, anything—or anyone—that disrupts our sense of ease is seen as expendable. This distortion has led to tragic moral crises like abortion and euthanasia, which are often the result of choosing self over others.

These acts are rooted not in love, but in total apathy. A false belief that one’s life is more valuable than another, or that suffering must be avoided at all costs. But true love embraces sacrifice. It understands that life is sacred at all stages, and that every human being is worthy of dignity.

If we seek an example of this love, we need only look to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Her life is a living testament to what it means to love selflessly. She accepted the will of God with complete surrender, enduring the pain of watching her Son suffer and die, all for the salvation of our souls. The devotion of Mary, particularly as revealed through her Seven Sorrows, is a window into the heart of perfect, maternal love—a love that suffers willingly for others.

Indeed, motherhood is one of the clearest reflections of God’s love. A mother who gives her life—whether physically or through daily sacrifices—for her child embodies Christlike love. While our culture sometimes clings to the phrase “I’d die for my children,” the millions of abortions each year reveal a painful contradiction. And yet, there are radiant exceptions—stories of mothers who, faced with extreme hardships, illness, or danger, choose life for their unborn children, sometimes at the cost of their own. These women remind us of the words of Christ:

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – John 15:13

This is true love. The ultimate example.

The Catholic Church has long used the image of the pelican to symbolize Christ’s sacrificial love. According to ancient legend, the pelican would wound herself to feed her young with her own blood in times of famine. This image is often depicted in sacred art and tabernacles as a symbol of the Eucharist—Jesus, pouring Himself out for us.

So let us strive to imitate the pelican—willing to give of ourselves completely for those we love. Love is not about avoiding sacrifice; it’s about embracing it. That’s what Christ did. That’s what Mary did. That’s what we are called to do.

Our hearts were created by God for love, because God is love.

“God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” – 1 John 4:16


“Since God has first loved us (cf. 1 Jn 4:10), love is the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being.” – CCC 1604

Let’s rediscover this truth. Let’s reject the counterfeit versions of love the world offers and instead embrace the kind of love that Christ modeled for us—a love that is selfless, sacrificial, and sanctifying.

Be like Mary. Be like the pelican. Be like Christ.
True love is never selfish. It is always selfless.

God is the Giver of life, creating us out of pure love and sustaining us each day with His grace.

Omnipresent in His mercy, He is always near, especially in our times of suffering and weakness.

Dying on the Cross, Christ gave the ultimate expression of divine love—laying down His life so we might live.

Infinite in compassion, God never tires of forgiving us, no matter how far we may stray.

Sacrificing Himself, Jesus reveals that love is not a feeling but a selfless gift for the good of the others.

Light in our darkness, God’s love guides us through confusion, pain, and fear, offering hope and peace.

Overcoming sin and death, His love redeems us and restores our dignity as His beloved children.

Victorious over the grave, Christ’s resurrection proves that love is stronger than death.

Eternal and unchanging, God’s love endures forever and invites us into everlasting communion with Him.

God Bless,

Patrick Leigh, COO

The Modern Apostle LLC.