Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Feb. 3, 2013
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
The second reading this Sunday is one of the most beloved sections of all St. Paul’s epistles. Why? Well, anyone who has been to more than one wedding knows the answer. It would be a fair estimate to say that more than one-fourth of the wedding Masses or services have 1 Corinthians, Chapters 12-13 as their second reading. And, why not? This is truly a beautiful spirit-filled explanation of the supremacy of the virtue of love.
He was “cut to the heart” in discovering Christian captivesSt. Peter Nolasco was shocked and moved in finding Christians held captive and in danger of losing their faith. Read more about his heroic life and what he did about it on the website of the . (Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M. is the vocations director of the Order of Mercy.)
Visit the Mercedarians’
As we know a virtue is a good habit. Some of these virtues are given to us by God or infused by the Holy Spirit. The three most important of the virtues are the Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope and Love. These good habits are critical to anyone wishing to grow in the life of God. Yet, as St. Paul tells us, “the greatest of these is Love.” “Love never fails.”
Heaven”s total Love
God is Love. Heaven is the experience of total pure Love. There we will live in communion with the Trinity; united in a bond of love with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In heaven, there is no need for Faith, because we see God “face to face.” We also do not need Hope, because it is fulfilled in the place of perfection. So all that remains in heaven is the supernatural virtue of Love. The love we experience and practice here on earth is fulfilled in the communion with the Trinity and all the Saints forever!
So it does make sense that engaged couples are drawn to this reading which explains everlasting value of the virtue of Love. Marriage is for all of us a symbol of the Love of heaven, which is selfless, faithful, fruitful, and unconditional.
Love: eros, storge, phileo, and agape
Yet, the question can be asked, “What is love?” We say we love our wife or fiancé, we love our dog, and we even may say we love apple pie. Obviously, we are not talking about the same degree or definition of love in each case. The problem is that in English we have only one word for love. In the time of the New Testament composition, there were four major Greek words used for love: Eros, Storge, Phileo, and Agape. Eros refers to physical attraction and/or physical passion. It is a necessary part of courtship and marriage, but it is limited. Storge is defined as the bond between mother and child or between family members. As the saying goes, “blood is thicker than water.” Phileo refers to the love of affection. This is “friendship love” or a delight in the presence of another. Finally, Agape is seeking the welfare and betterment of another regardless of how we “feel” about them.
Agape is radically different than the other forms of love, because it has nothing to do with feelings. This form of love is completely supernatural and is from God. It is shown to us in the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus. The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord reveals to us a new form of radical love. The first three forms of love require that we basically “like” the other person, but Agape stretches us beyond our natural capacity to “Love as God Loves.” Jesus did not feel like dying for us on the cross. He says, “Father take this cup from me, but your will be done.” He dies for each of us who are unworthy sinners.
Marriage leads us to holiness
St. Paul talks about the attributes of love saying “love is patient…kind…not jealous…not pompous….” It becomes obvious to us as we read this passage that he is speaking about Agape. We do not always feel like being patient, but we do it because we desire to love as God loves.
Married love is that one love that must contain all the four Greek forms of love. It must naturally move from Eros (attraction), to Phileo (friendship) and, finally, to Agape (self-sacrificing). Only in Agape can a marriage truly be fruitful because feelings go away. At times, we are deeply hurt, yet so was Jesus. He gives us the grace in the Sacraments of Marriage, Confession, and Eucharist to love even when we don’t feel like it. This is not always fun or even romantic, but we can take solace in the fact that we love as God loves. In this way, marriage allows God to “stretch” our capacity to love. Marriage can and does lead people to the heights of holiness. To love as Jesus has loved us!