St. Gregory of Nyssa writes: “Blessed dart, which carries with it into the heart, the God who cast it!” By this the saintly Father means that when God pierces a heart with an arrow of love – that is, with some special illumination by which He give it to know His goodness, the love He has for it, and the desire He has for that heart’s love – at that moment God Himself enters along with the arrow of love, for He, who is the archer, is Love itself: “For God is love” (1 Jn 4:8). And just as the arrow remains buried in the heart it has wounded, so also God continues ever united with the soul that He has wounded with His love.

Let us be persuaded, O human beings, that God alone really loves us. The love of relatives, of friends, and of all others who declare their love for us, except for those who love us purely for God’s sake, is but an interested love, directed towards some reason of self-love, for which they love us.

Yes, my God, I know well that You alone love me and desire my good, not for Your own gain, but solely on account of Your goodness, solely for the love which You bear for me; and I, ungrateful, have caused no one such displeasure, such sadness as I have caused You who have loved me so much. My Jesus, allow me to be ungrateful to You no longer. You have truly loved me, and I desire truly to love You for the remainder of my life. To You I say with St. Catherine of Genoa: “O my love, no more sins, no more sins”; You alone I will love, and no other.

ST, ALPHONSUS MARIA DE LIGUORI. De bem com Deus [Means of Acquiring Divine Love]. Aparecida: Santuário, 2010, p.11-12