What's love?

On the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows one would expect the readings to be full of, well, sorrows.

So, many of us may have been surprised to hear as today’s first reading St. Paul’s famous discourse about love. Although this passage is frequently used for weddings, the love of which Paul speaks is not the natural love of man and woman, or even the fraternal love among people of good will: it is a very special kind of self-giving love that reflects the love of Christ, a love manifested most perfectly in Christ’s death on the cross, a love manifested so clearly in Christ’s mother as she watches her son die.

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails.

Many things are said and sung about love: often to the point of triteness.

We need to remember what real love is. We need to read the words of Paul afresh, keeping in mind the image of Mary as she stands before her dying Son: an image of unfathomable love.

In this way we must love one another.