The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us that Love is the virtue in which we become open to the Wisdom of God and vulnerable in our humble service to others.
Love is patient
The reading from Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians describes the Gift of Love.
* [13:8–13] The final paragraph announces its topic, Love never fails (1 Cor 13:8), then develops the permanence of love in contrast to the charisms (1 Cor 13:9–12), and finally asserts love’s superiority even over the other “theological virtues” (1 Cor 13:13).1
Psalm 33 praises the greatness and goodness of God.
* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22).2
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus observes how the people lack wisdom.
* [11:16–19] See Lk 7:31–35. The meaning of the parable (Mt 11:16–17) and its explanation (Mt 11:18–19b) is much disputed. A plausible view is that the children of the parable are two groups, one of which proposes different entertainments to the other that will not agree with either proposal. The first represents John, Jesus, and their disciples; the second those who reject John for his asceticism and Jesus for his table association with those despised by the religiously observant. Mt 11:19c (her works) forms an inclusion with Mt 11:2 (“the works of the Messiah”). The original form of the saying is better preserved in Lk 7:35 “…wisdom is vindicated by all her children.” There John and Jesus are the children of Wisdom; here the works of Jesus the Messiah are those of divine Wisdom, of which he is the embodiment. Some important textual witnesses, however, have essentially the same reading as in Luke.4
Kimberly Grassmeyer asks: What is it about the human condition that keeps us from expressing and experiencing love in the way that God intended? How is it that this gift is so misunderstood, ill-used, and squandered?
In part, it seems the Gospel reading provides a hint. In the reading, Jesus asked the crowd “To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?” and then described them – US – like children. My first thought was that children see our highly complex world, simply. Then, that children see things through a lens of self-interest, and judge what they don’t understand from a very limited world view. I ultimately interpreted the Parable that Jesus shared as describing the generation – again, US in this case – as unfairly judgmental. We are so quick to find fault with one another, to accuse and point fingers at ‘the other’, to refuse to listen with an open heart to find understanding. I felt that Jesus, in saying that “wisdom is vindicated by all her children” was calling his people to avoid such quick, child-like judgement (to “put aside such childish things”), but rather to exercise the wisdom that results from reflection, understanding, perspective, time, patience, and yes, love.5
Don Schwager quotes “The song and dances of the prophets,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"'Therefore, wisdom is justified by all her children.' He fittingly says 'by all,' because justice is preserved around all. In order that an acceptance of the faithful may happen, a rejection of the unbelieving must occur. Very many Greeks say this, "Wisdom is justified by all her works," because the duty of justice is to preserve the measure around the merit of each. It aptly says, "We have piped to you, and you have not danced." Moses sang a song when he stopped the flow in the Red Sea for the crossing of the Jews (Exodus 15:1-18), and the same waves encircled the horses of the Egyptians and, falling back, drowned their riders. Isaiah sang a song of his beloved's vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-7), signifying that the people who before had been fruitful with abundant virtues would be desolate through shameful acts. The Hebrews sang a song when the soles of their feet grew moist at the touch of the bedewing flame, and while all burned within and without, the harmless fire caressed them alone and did not scorch (Daniel 3:19-25). Habakkuk also learned to assuage universal grief with a song and prophesied that the sweet passion of the Lord would happen for the faithful (Habakkuk 3:13). The prophets sang songs with spiritual measures, resounding with prophecies of universal salvation. The prophets wept, softening the hard hearts of the Jews with sorrowful lamentations" (Isaiah 46:12). (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 6.6-7)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13 asks us to look at the list of all the ways we’re supposed to love—be kind and patient, rejoice with the truth, bear all things. If we’re honest, we know that we come up short pretty often. And on top of our imperfect efforts to love, we have to accept other people’s imperfect efforts to love us. Those especially close to us can disappoint us the most, leaving us feeling unappreciated or hurt.
our approach to love is often immature, like the childish thinking Paul talks about. We are prone to mistake infatuation, sex, or expensive gifts for love. Age and experience can help us wise up, but the only thing that will truly teach us about love is God—who is himself love! Through him, we learn that the less we focus on the way people are (or are not) loving us and the more we focus on the way we are loving them, the more we will experience his love.7
Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the writing of Paul on the gift of Love in service of the community. The community that Jesus encountered had vastly different expectations of the Messiah. Friar Jude reminds us to be cautious in claiming our understanding of God.
James Finley shares his experience with Thomas Merton that helped him conclude that we can be someone in whose presence it’s safe to be vulnerable and to be open, and truly courageous and strong and powerful, as Jesus was strong and powerful, in the truest, deepest sense of the word.
I learned a big lesson, which later really was to affect me in my own therapy and as a therapist, that when you risk sharing what hurts the most in the presence of someone who will not invade you or abandon you, you can learn not to invade or abandon yourself. Even deeper down, when you risk sharing what hurts the most in the presence of someone who will not invade you or abandon you, you can discover within yourself what Jesus called the pearl of great price [Matthew 13:46], your invincible preciousness in the midst of your fragility.8
The power of Love is transformation of our lives in service to people.
References
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