Pursuing Love

54. St Paul says that, if we have all the gifts of the Spirit but do not have love, we are no further forward (cf. 1 Cor.13:2). How assiduous, then, we ought to be in our efforts to acquire this love.

St. Maximus the Confessor Four Hundred Centuries on Love: #54

Love is like a radiant thread woven into the tapestry of human existence formed with virtuous and vicious threads. It's the pulsating heart that animates every act of kindness, every gesture of compassion, and every offering of grace. As eloquently pronounced by St. Paul, without love, all other gifts of the Spirit are nothing more than empty vessels—void of real significance or purpose.

Imagine a cathedral—its towers that go up so high, in fact, to the heavens, its halls shining and flaring with candles. In this hallowed space, decked out in the treasures of faith and ornamented by the artistry of devotion, love reigns supreme in its fullest expression—the jewel on top of the Christian life.

But love is not to be found in abundance. Like a precious gem hidden deep within the earth, love is not easily had. It takes continuous effort, unyielding commitment, and the ability to delve into the recesses of one's being. Just like the devoted artisan who would labor with care on the perfection of his craft, similarly lies it for us to work hard on cultivating the soil of our hearts so it might be ready for the seeds of love to germinate and develop.

In the words of Maximus the Confessor, we are reminded of the urgency with which we must pursue this noble endeavor. That, if one could not speak the language of heaven or men, or to prophesy or fathom all mysteries and knowledge, if one could not possess the wisdom of the ages and the power to move mountains, but have not that grace, then nothing gained by those gifts will send us an inch farther on our way.

Let us, therefore, be diligent in seeking to obtain this love, as one would desire to get at the hidden treasures of the earth. Let us water it with compassion's waters and give it sunlight from above through his mercy, let us also cultivate it with tender care of the gardener tending his beloved blooms.

For in love the ordinary rises to the extraordinary, transforming even the humblest of acts into a devotional offering. Love is what closes the gap from heart to heart. Love bridges the distance that separates us into nothing. It is love that carries us back into the very heart of God, and it is here that we find ourselves — our true selves — mirrored in all His unfathomable depths of love divine.

So let us heed the call of St. Paul and Maximus the Confessor alike, and let us pursue love above all else. For in it we find not only the fulfillment of our deepest longing but also the very essence of our humanity shining forth as it were like a beacon in the darkness guiding us ever more close to the radiant presence of the divine.