October 2016
1 Cor 13 : 1-13
If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Vincentian Reflection
Faith, Hope and Love is a phrase we hear, or at least should hear frequently.
Yet many times we hear it as Faith, Hope and Charity. Since we as a group are a charity, perhaps some clarity is in order so that we may hear and best consider this reading.
The original scripture uses the Greek word agape. Scholars tell us
When the word agape is used in the context of vertical action (God toward man and/or man toward God), it is translated as “love.”
When the word agape is used in the context of horizontal actions (man toward neighbor or enemy), it is translated as “charity.” (See:varsity faith)
Which at least explains the basis for the differing translations. Better yet – in his book The Four Loves, writer and theologian C.S. Lewis gives us a more useful definition. He wrote:
Where we have one word, “love,” the Greeks had four words
agape was the word used to identify love that was selflessly committed to the well-being of another;
Now that I can wrap my head around. We are gathered here as a Charity; St. Paul in this reading implores us to leverage to power of Christ’s love [vertical agape] and conduct our business tonight and always “selflessly committed to the well-being of [others]”.
Amen.
And for fun
phileo was the word used for the non-sexual affection of those sharing a strong bond, like “brotherly love;”
eros was the word used for romantic feelings, like “being in love;”
storge was the word used for fondness of someone/something through familiarity with them/it.
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