In today’s first reading Paul teaches that “all you need is love” but love in a Christian sense. He closes his reflection on the virtue of love with the statement: “So, faith, hope, love remain…but the greatest is love.” This hymn is often used as one of the readings at a wedding and very appropriately so. It brings out the beauty but also the challenge of love. We call marriage a sacrament because the mystery of God’s love is reflected in the marriage bond.
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.” (Ephesian 5:31-32).
The Corinthian hymn brings out this mystery of Christ’s love which is the incarnation of God’s love:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16).
Jesus reflects his Father’s love in his life of humility, service, and sacrifice. So, the love that Paul espouses in this hymn is one of humility, service, and sacrifice. Paul characterizes love in this way:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love 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.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
This description of love is very concrete and therefore challenging. Day in and day out it is difficult at times to be patient or not jealous or to not brood over injuries. This challenge is not only for married couples but for all of us Christians who have the gift of faith, hope and love. Ultimately this love goes back to our encounter with our Lord Jesus.
“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35).
Image: “Bride and Groom holding hands during Wedding ceremony” by neeravbhatt is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.