If love for God were not His commandment, who would dare to love God? Would I dare to love my God with a friendly or passionate love? If He did not ask this of me, it would be audacious of me. But He asks for my love! To remove all my doubts, He commands me to love Him – I "must" love Him.
He could have only "allowed" us to love Him. But He, to show the greatness of His love for humanity, gave us this as a commandment, because He feared that otherwise the distance between His majesty and our misery would discourage us. Do you see how mistaken those are who say that "love cannot be commanded"?
(Cardinal Charles Journet /1891-1975/, excerpt from the sermon "Be Perfect")
