Day 2: Love Is Kind

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ove is kind. After pondering the first characteristic of love which is one of passivity, that is, long-suffering or patient love, we move to this other characteristic of love which is one of activity. "Love manifests itself more in deeds than in words" (Contemplatio Ad Amorem). On one hand, love endures evils; on the other hand, it confers blessings and actively does good. The creation story in Genesis illustrates that love is kind. God who is love created everything and saw that these are all good. Because of this we can conclude two things, first, it was God who really first loved us and, second, God is really the one entitled to our love. We can use the image of light to picture what love is and how it moves. Love comes or flows from God just like the light that emanates from the sun. There is a proverbial Chinese saying, "If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world." I would like to believe that this first spark of light is no other than the light of love that originated from God. From this came about the planets, the sun, the moon and the stars. The word 'kind' in Greek is χρηστεύεται (chrēsteuetai)–derived from chrestos meaning to show a thing's usefulness, worthiness or goodness when used of created objects. If it is used of created subjects, e.g., human beings, it refers to the subject's goodness and graciousness. This makes God, who created all that is good, the source of or 'the' ‘Supreme Good’ (Summum Bonum). Philosophers for thousands of years have been trying to find the Supreme Good or the most desirable good. The Greek philosophers, for example, considered eudaemonia or happiness as the highest good that could be achieved in a person's lifetime. However, St Thomas Aquinas held a different view saying that perfect happiness (beatitudo) is not possible on earth, but an imperfect happiness (felicitas) is.

Four Degrees of Love by St Bernard of Clairvaux

I like how St Bernard of Clairvaux presented the relationship between love and the good in his treatise "On The Love Of God." He said that there are four degrees of love. First degree: Love of self for self's sake–it is found at the base of the ladder. He said that "human nature is weak... compelled to love itself and serve itself first." Therefore, it is important that this love of self be put in check by the command to love our neighbor. This love needs to be tempered by giving to our neighbor's needs. Second degree: Love of God for self's sake. When the needs of human beings are not met, we look to God to meet such needs. This kind of love is still self-love; the only difference from the first degree is that, here, we now begin to love God even if it is for our own sake. Third degree: Love of God for God's sake. When we reach this level, we begin to love God not merely for our own sakes, but for God Himself. The person is drawn more and more to the pure, disinterested love of God leaving behind any impure love that is motivated by one's own agenda. According to St Bernard it is considered pure love because it is expressed now more in deeds than in words. "We now love God, not for our necessity, for we ourselves have tasted and know how sweet the Lord is." God entices us by being more of love for "They do not love that do not show their love" (Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona). When this happens–the more we will love God for God's sake. Fourth and last degree: Love of self for God's sake. St Bernard calls them blessed those who are called to this perfect love of God—loving Him with one's whole heart, soul, mind and strength. Is this fourth degree attainable in this life? St Bernard admits that he is not certain of the answer because this present body that we inhabit makes it difficult to sustain perfect love. However, God is free to grant whomever He wills with such grace. It is not attained through one's own efforts; it is a pure gift. Fr JM Manzano SJ