▁love , ▁not ▁that ▁we ▁loved ▁God ▁but ▁that ▁he ▁loved ▁us " ▁( 1 ▁J n ▁ 4 : 1 0 ; ▁ital ics ▁added ). ▁We ▁have ▁come ▁to ▁believe ▁in ▁God ' s ▁love ▁is , ▁Bened ict ▁says , ▁the ▁fundamental ▁decision ▁of ▁a ▁Christian ' s ▁life . ▁ ▁Joseph ▁R atz inger ▁emphas ized ▁that ▁san ct ity ▁is ▁" nothing ▁other ▁than ▁to ▁speak ▁with ▁God ▁as ▁a ▁friend ▁speak s ▁with ▁a ▁friend , ▁allowing ▁God ▁to ▁work , ▁the ▁Only ▁One ▁who ▁can ▁really ▁make ▁the ▁world ▁both ▁good ▁and ▁happy ." ▁ ▁" F und ament ally , ▁prayer ▁is ▁to ▁place ▁ones elf ▁in ▁God ' s ▁presence ▁and ▁to ▁allow ▁him ▁to ▁love ▁us ," ▁says ▁Philippe . ▁And ▁with ▁this , ▁the ▁basic ▁attitude ▁of ▁a ▁Christian ▁is ▁hum ility ▁coming ▁from ▁a ▁knowledge ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁power less ness ▁and ▁sin ful ness ▁in ▁comparison ▁to ▁the ▁grande ur ▁of ▁God . ▁Thus ▁Jesus ▁critic ized ▁the ▁self - p raise ▁of ▁the ▁Ph ar ise es ▁which ▁showed ▁them ▁as ▁people ▁who ▁" tr usted ▁themselves ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁r igh te ous ," ▁while ▁he ▁pra ised ▁the ▁tax - collect or ' s ▁pet ition ▁for ▁mer cy , ▁because ▁" he ▁who ▁hum bles ▁himself ▁will ▁be ▁ex alt ed ." ▁ ▁The ▁Christian ' s ▁love ▁increases ▁as ▁a ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁love ▁of ▁God . ▁" Cont empl ative ▁prayer ," ▁according ▁to