By Father Eugene Hemrick | Catholic News Service

During the Second Vatican Council, love became one of its constant themes. My German pastor would cry out "Love, love, love: That's all you hear these days! It is as if it never existed before." He didn't like the changes brought about by the council. He especially thought some used the word love for their own purposes.

In one way, he was right. Many of its advocates misused and abused its meaning. Repeatedly speaking of love correctly, however, can never be overdone. It is the ultimate foundation of all virtues.

When love is applied to what we do every day, its depths are bottomless. Take, for instance, two examples of love: benevolence and mercy. Benevolence urges us to be well-disposed toward others, ourselves, God and the world, reflecting kindness.

Mercy implores us to open our hearts to others so that they never lose heart. When these qualities are lived, they generate heartfelt inspiration that can move mountains.

An example of this is a series of programs I recently saw at St. James Cathedral in Seattle. Its large staff runs programs that include ministering to those released from prison, helping them re-enter society and regain dignity. They help immigrants get settled and provide them with English lessons. They also provide support to pregnant women.

When the programs are studied, one thing surfaces most, and that is benevolence. People sacrifice time and talents to create dignity in others. They free people from fears that accompany poverty, the pitfalls of being impoverished and the addictions that enslave them.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, also in Seattle, created a program in which professional clothes are donated for the poor so they can go out and obtain work. The rationale behind the program is that the better you look, the better you feel about yourself. These are but a few examples of millions of programs throughout the world that are based on benevolence, mercy and the restoration of heart in those who may have lost it.

Creative programs like these are the perfect antithesis to the violence and senseless deaths we experience daily. They are a testament that God's love is forever winning over a culture of death and darkness.