Hollowell:  26 February 2006
LOVE
“Though I spake with the tongues of men and of angels and yet had no love  I were even as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal…..” 
Doing my bit for the ecumenical movement. 
One of my favourite poems is  W.H. Auden  “Tell Me The Truth About Love”  
Quote
First Encyclical
Pope Benedict XVI encyclical.   Most abused word
His reputation as a bastion of Catholic conformity.  Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  
An encyclical on Love from a reputedly right wing Pope would surely contain condemnation of our materialistic society; contraception etc etc. 
“ To day the term love has become one of them most frequently used and misused of words. We speak of love of country, love of one’s profession, love of work, love between friends, love between parents and children, love of neighbour and love of God.  Amid this multiplicity of meanings however one in particular stands out: love between man and woman where body and soul are inseparably joined and human beings glimpse and apparently irresistible promise of happiness” 
He spoke of eros and agape.  Agape the Greek for spiritual or higher love.  Eros not used in the New Testament and just twice in what he refers to as the Greek Old Testament. 
Debasement of humanity by the reduction of sex to a commodity. 
Man the Pope says now considers his body and his sexuality as the purely material part of himself, to be used and exploited at will.  A mere object that he tries to make both enjoyable and harmless.  
Eroticism has a place in the bible in the Song of Solomon. “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine” [ Quote]
Pretty erotic stuff.
” 
Intrinsic link between human and divine love, between eros and agape,.  
I wish to speak of the love which God lavishes upon us and which we in turn must share with others…In a world where the name of God is sometimes associated with vengeance or even of a duty of hatred and violence, the message is timely and significant.  Love should be free; it is not practised as a way of achieving ends
Acknowledges the power of the  “irresistible promise of happiness”
Christianity perceived as being opposed to the body.  Sex is meaningless, he argues unless combined with spiritual or divine love. 
Charity:  Church’s work caring for the poor and the sick which is as much part of its mission as the gospels.   
Love of widows and orphans, prisoners and the sick and needy of every kind is an essential part of the church as the ministry of the sacrament and preaching the Gospel. 
“Love is free: it is not practised as way of achieving other ends. Those who practise charity will never seek to impose the Church’s faith upon others.”  
“They realise that a pure and generous love is the best witness of God. “
This is what being human really means, especially through the Christian lens.  
Sitting in church not enough we have to practise agape. In service to the poor and weak. 
Perhaps find a better way of commemorating Lent than stopping drink or chocolate. 
Do that bit more to practise Agape. 
And now remaineth Faith hope and love, and the greatest of these is love. 
