112. “The greatest of these is love”
112. “THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE”
Why is love the greatest thing in the world?
Now since the three theological virtues look at God as their proper object, it cannot be said that any one of them is greater than another by reason of its having a greater object, but only from the fact that it approaches nearer than another to that object; and in this way charity is greater than the others. Because the others, in their very nature, imply a certain distance from the object: since faith is of what is not seen, and hope is of what is not possessed. But the love of charity is of that which is already possessed, since the beloved is, in a manner, in the lover, and, again, the lover is drawn by desire to union with the beloved; hence it is written (1 Jn 4:16): He that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him (I-II, 66,6).
The question is a very simple one, and so is the answer. Love is the greatest thing in the world because it is a participation in the very life of God Himself. “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8). Faith, hope, desire, aspiration, intention, idealism—these are all very good, and even necessary, but they imply a certain distance from the object. Love does not. Love implies the real presence of its object.
Therefore when we choose to exercise an act of agape (unselfish love), we bring the real presence of Christ to the people we love. We become tubes into which Christ comes and through which Christ moves and out of which Christ acts on other people. We are like priests who consecrate the Eucharist in that we help to bring about a real supernatural change, a real presence of Christ. It’s not Transubstantiation, but it is a real presence. We become real instrumental causes of His real presence, like Mary at the Annunciation.
These two analogies are only likenesses, of course, but they are real likenesses. We do not become priests and we do not become Mary, but we become like priests and we become like Mary. It’s not just a clever poetic conceit that remains in subjective consciousness. It’s real. It really happens.
This “love” is not just any kind of love, of course, but agape, charity, unselfish love, the willing of the true good of the other, the gift of self.
When we love in this way, we actually live in God and God in us. That is what Scripture says (1 Jn 4:16). Let’s not minimize what Scripture says. It’s just as dangerous and just as heretical to under—do as to over—do what Scripture says.
This may seem unduly optimistic about human power, but it presupposess human fallenness and Original Sin. That is why it is impossible to run the engine of our agape on any other fuel than the very life of the Trinity. There is no other source of it; fallen human nature is incorrigibly selfish.
Therefore whenever anyone truly loves, God is living in them and operating in them. That does not mean that they themselves do not do it. For God is not a rival to man, and His will (which is love) does not blot out or set aside man’s free will but perfects it, as “grace perfects nature”.
This agape certainly seems to be present in the lives of many men and women who do not have faith. We do not know, and should not judge, whether this love—presence of God in their lives is a saving presence, i.e., whether they have the implicit faith that will get them to Heaven. We know that God can work anonymously, and He is far more gracious and tricky than we know. We cannot see faith, because we cannot see into hearts; but we can see love, because we do see deeds; and we should not begrudge or deny the presence of love when we see it anywhere, but rather give praise to both God and man for it.
Mother Teresa frequently spoke of meeting Jesus “in disguise” in other people. This is not just fantasizing or sentimentalism. It is accurate theology. Whenever we see with the eyes of agape, we meet Him.
This is real, not just mental, presence. He is really there. And even though it is not the Eucharist, with His own Body and Blood, it is Eucharistic, or Eucharist—like in two ways: (1) it is hidden and disguised beneath the appearances; and (2) it is brimming with grace and it therefore calls for thanksgiving.