“This is love in its most radical form. By contemplating the pierced side of Christ, we can understand the starting-point of this Encyclical Letter: “God is love”. It is there that this truth can be contemplated. It is from there that our definition of love must begin. In this contemplation the Christian discovers the path along which his life and love must move.” Deus Caritas Est, or “God is Love,” was the first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, released on December 25, 2005. This letter focuses on the nature of Christian love, particularly examining the relationship between God’s love for humanity and the love Christians are called to show others. Benedict grounds his reflections in Scripture and tradition, aiming to clarify misunderstandings about Christian love in a contemporary world marked by both cynicism and sentimentality. In this first part, titled “The Unity of Love in Creation and in Salvation History,” Benedict explores two distinct yet intertwined dimensions of love, eros and agape, arriving at the newness which biblical faith brings to man's understanding of love—a new understanding that finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the incarnate love of God. Links: Full text: https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est.html SUBSCRIBE to Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-culture-audiobooks/id1482214268 SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter http://www.catholicculture.org/newsletter DONATE at http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio  Theme music: "2 Part Invention", composed by Mark Christopher Brandt, performed by Thomas Mirus. ©️2019 Heart of the Lion Publishing Co./BMI. All rights reserved.