What is Love?

Recently, I was challenged to evaluate what I mean by "love".

Others before me have distinguished it as existing in four forms: agape (charity), eros (passion), philia (brotherly), and storge (affection).

St. Paul describes for us the characteristics/virtues associated with love:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 

--1 Corinthians 13

   
The type of love that St. Paul talks about is charity (agape).

In my personal experience, I have found that love is seeing a person for all of his/her faults and still willing and acting for that person's greatest good.  As St. Mary Mazzarello says, "True charity means returning good for evil - always."

It is an active choice.

I also see that it is a life long mission.  It involves all the virtues.  The most obvious are: humility, mercy, forgiveness and perseverance.  It is always being purged and deepened.  It is the hardest thing in life; it is what also what brings true peace and happiness.

I think it is both too complicated and too simple to formally define.  However, if I were limited to a few words, I would have to say that love is voluntary self-sacrifice for the good of another.

People to love:
1. Those to whom we are bound through blood.
2. Those who we have committed to love.
3. Those whom we encounter day by day.
4. Those who are suffering; think of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.
4. Those who we have no affection for.
5. Those who have hurt us.

See The Way of Perfection