What is Love?
This week, Jesus gives us only two commands to live by:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12: 30-31)
Fr. Mark in his sermon said “we come from different backgrounds and our understanding of love differs.” We build expectations based on what we have learned in our homes. He said that “if we say we love God then it should manifest in all our words, thoughts and actions- the way we live.” If we say we love God and lead an adulterous life- then we are liars. Love means to will the good of the other- you will want what is good for the other. It should reflect the love of the man on the cross- Christ.
“Love is difficult,” said Fr. Dom in his sermon. He asked the congregation, “What is love?” He asked “Do we do whatever we are doing for our family because of love or obligation? Do we come to church because we love or because of responsibility?” “Do we truly love God?” He said we need to ponder on these questions. All of us are subject to weakness; our love may not be pure but we need to work on it.
Bishop Fulton Sheen explains that “love” is in the will and that is why it can be commanded by Jesus while “like” is based on emotions and feeling. He adds that although there is only one word for love in English, the Greeks have three words to describe love (Three Kinds of Love).
“Eros” meant human love, love of a person – when you feel pulled towards a person. However, with Freud came the new definition of love and it was changed to erotic which related to sexual desire. Thus, in the modern definition of love, the person is not loved but only the experience- like when you drink the water but the glass is forgotten.
The second definition of love, which is “philia” which is love of humanity regardless of race, colour or creed. It is love because we are made in the image and likeness of God. The third definition of love is “agape” which is sacrificial love – love of Christ for men; a love when you love the unlovable.
Fulton Sheen explains that here we will not find perfect love. Not every woman or man’s promise of love is complete because “our love is not the source of love but sparks that have fallen from the great heart of God”. Only God can fulfill that love in perfection.
To love God, Fr. Mark suggested developing a relationship with God – by greeting Jesus at various times of the day like when you wake up – say “Good morning Jesus”.
Fr. Dom suggested the following in defining love in our everyday living:
L- listen – Listen to your family and the voice within you, discern and then respond
O-obedient – means to a committed person- obedient to the will of God,
V- view goodness in all, don’t be quick to pass judgment. We have goodness because we are made in the image and likeness of God.
E – express your love
