Perfect Love

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For 5 January 2011, St. John Neumann, based on 1 John 4:11-18

Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.


Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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About Mr. Norm Laurendeau, O.P.

Norm Laurendeau was a lay Dominican and a semi-retired professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University who died in May 2012. He published and conducted research in the areas of energy and environment, with a focus of the use of lasers to monitor pollutants. He was a fully professed lay Dominican since May, 2006. While moderating the St. Mary Magdalene pro-chapter in West Lafayette, IN, he was instrumental in developing a lay preaching mission within chapter meetings and at communion services. He was also heavily involved in the science-theology dialogue, and explored the relationship between science and mysticism. In 2010, he chaired a conference on Energy and Religion for the Institute for Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS). Most importantly, he was married to Marlene Carlos Laurendeau, who is a social worker and spiritual director. They lived in Brunswick, ME, near where Norm grew up. They wintered in Berkeley, CA, near where Marlene grew up.