St. Agnes Catholic Church
September 23/24, 2023
30th Sunday of Ordinary Time
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102923.cfm
I have a
younger brother who says the words, “I love you” very frequently. At the end of any conversation or verbal
exchange, no matter how brief, he will say it.
He called me once for clarification on driving directions—whether to take
a right or a left turn. “Got it. Thanks,
Ned. I love you.”
Back when
Kate and I were first dating, very early in our relationship, as in
maybe 3 weeks—I introduced her to Joe.
And he told her, “I love you.”
This was before I had even said those words to her! Which was awkward and hilarious.
When you ask
him, Joe isn’t embarrassed. He says it’s
really important that people these hear these words and know that they’re
meant. He says, “You never know when you
might see or talk to a person for the last time.” I love that.
Our topic in
the Gospel today is love: Jesus’ great commandment to love God with all that we
are, and a second commandment like it to love our neighbor. I am sure you know this, but love is kind of
a big deal in our faith. In fact, love
is absolutely central to Christianity.
Just to give five of Scripture’s greatest passages about love:
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor
and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those
who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father (Matthew
5:43-45)
I give you a new commandment love one another … as I have
loved you (John 13: 34).
Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:8-10)
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if
you have love for one another (John 13:35)
The one who does not love, does not know God, for God is love
(1 John 4:8)
We use the
word “love” our language to cover a lot of concepts. We say, I love Fridays, I love tacos, I
love my family, I love my dog, I love God, and I love you and want to spend the
rest of my life with you.
Interestingly, in the language that the New
Testament was written in [Koine] Greek, there are different words for each of
these types of loves. There are at least
9 words for love. Let me share four of
the most common. First, there is storge (stor – GAY), which means
affection. It is often used to describe
the relationship between family members.
This love is a kind of instinct rooted in need—like the need a child has
for parents. Second, is philia, which is
friendship. You hear this word in
“Philadelphia,” the city of brotherly love.
Philia is rooted in trust, and a deep, abiding sense of loyalty. For the ancient Greeks, this was the best
form of love. Third is eros, romantic
love. You hear this in the word erotic,
but it is not about lust. It is about
falling in love with a romantic partner, and loving that partner fully and
singularly.
The fourth
word for love is the one that the New Testament consistently uses for love—agape. Unlike the English word ‘love’ which we
usually mean to describe a warm feeling of affection, agape means “love in
action.” It indicates a selfless,
sacrificial love rooted in commitment. Agape
love desires and wills the highest good for other people, including people we
may not like. It is the kind of love
that Christ showed us by washing the feet of his disciples and by offering his
life on the cross.
The passages
on love take on a different meaning when you know this. Loving God is not about our emotions. Agape is about our steadfast devotion shown
by how we live our lives. Similarly,
loving our neighbor is shown by serving our neighbor. By sacrificing for our neighbor.
The parable
of the Good Samaritan is told by Jesus when asked “who is my neighbor?” But we can also read it to show what agape love
is. In that story, a Samaritan comes
across an enemy lying in a ditch. He is
moved with compassion by his suffering, goes to him, gives him immediate
medical assistance, puts him on his own animal, brings him to an inn, and
continues to care for him. Then he gives
money for further medical care. Jesus’
parable is meant to show what agape--love in action--looks like, specifically
love for an enemy.
To make the
connection even clearer, the first reading today shows God’s special concern
for orphans, widows, immigrants, and the poor.
He tells his people that our agape, our love in action, needs to
specifically embrace these vulnerable groups.
We, as a parish, have been
living our love through the St. Vincent de Paul Society, our work with
refugees, and our monthly sale of fair-trade products that provide a just wage
to workers.
In our wider
world, we might look to the example of healthcare workers who put their lives
on the line during the pandemic out of agape love for the sick. We can also see first responders who do the
same. I think also of the grueling agape
love of parenthood, daily putting love into action.
A good saint
for agape love, is St. Maximillian Kolbe, a Polish Franciscan priest who was imprisoned
in the Auschwitz concentration camp by the Nazis. He voluntarily gave his life for another
prisoners, willing going to his death out of love for a neighbor.
I think we
should all be more like my brother Joe, who loves deeply and widely, and is not
afraid to tell it to the world. We are
made for love.
This quote
has been attributed to Mother Teresa, “I have found the paradox, that if you
love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.[1]”
The more
that we love, the more that we are like God.
And the more that God lives in us.
For God is love.
[1]
Actually by her biographer, Daphne Rae, Love Until It Hurts: The Work of Mother
Teresa and Her Missionaries of Charity
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