“I shall show you a more excellent way…Love is patient, love is kind..it is not rude, it does not seek it’s own interests…it does not rejoice in wrong doings, but rejoices in the truth” (1 Cor 13:1-6). These passages from St. Paul’s First Letter to Corinthians are some of the most well-known lines from Sacred Scripture. This is also a very popular reading for the celebration of a wedding. However, I want to point out that St. Paul uses a particular Greek word for love known as agape. In Greek, the three common words for love were eros, phileo, and agape. Eros describes a physical or sexual kind of love or attraction. Phileo describes the kind of love between a brother, sister, or a friend. Agape however, connotes an unconditional or self-less type of love no matter what the circumstances. It the love that God has for each one. Jesus demonstrated agape by suffering and dying on that cross to take away the sins of the world. So when we hear this reading at a wedding, the couple must remember that true love is not just about physical attraction or co-existing on friendly terms. The highest type of love, agape, does not seek its own interests, but seeks the good of the other person. It is a love that knows how to sacrifice even when it hurts.
St. Paul’s message also applies to each of us as disciples. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, “Jesus makes charity/love the new commandment. “This is my commandment, love one another as I have loved you” (CCC 1823). I have shared before that Lent is a time of growth. God has planted the seed of faith in my heart and it must continue to grow. The sacraments, prayer, and fasting are like the sun, water, and soil that strengthen my faith and allow it to mature and develop. However, like a good tree, my faith must produce good fruit. A fruit that benefits and strengthens other people. My faith must show itself through my good works and my love (agape) for those around me. May all our Lenten practices help us grow in love for each other, not seeking our own interests, but the good of others.
