Rendering Love and Charity

Inspired by Terce and Sext on the Day of Our Lady of the Rosary, as listed at http://www.universalis.com/1100/today.htm

Both these readings for today contain pieces from 1 Corinthians 13, chapter 13 of St Paul's first Epistle to the Christian community of Corinth. These passages are often quoted when there's a need to address the subject of love scripturally, but this chapter also talks from a place of enactment. This is how we do it.

The original Greek word for 'love' used in this Chapter was αγαπη - agape, sacrifical love. By the time of the recording of the Vulgate, this had been identified with caritas - which originally meant something like the costliness of affection, or a high esteem (recorded sometimes as 'dilectio'). In our times these words have been rendered as charity, which has an emphasis more on what you give away, rather than the grace with which it is given.

Through time we reach the King James version of the Epistles, where charity, from the well-known triumvirate of 'faith, hope and charity' becomes love. Not desirous or sexual amor, but moreso the undeniable recognition of kindred humanity. A benevolence that stems from the simple fact that we both stand (sit, lie, kneel, crawl) in a suit of skin, blessed with senses that beg our brain to try to figure stuff out. Including (and most importantly) what might be goin' on inside, with each other.

So, holding that chunky bundle of information in mind, I'd like to invite you to join me for a slow reading of 1 Corinthians 13, where I've substituted the slightly unfamiliar word 'caritas' into the Douay-Rheims version of the chapter, and to let the sense of love that flows from the words pour over, into and upon you as you read this.

1 Corinthians 13

¹If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not caritas, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

²And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not caritas, I am nothing.

³And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not caritas, it profiteth me nothing.

⁴Caritas is patient, is kind: Caritas envieth not, dealeth not perversely; is not puffed up;

⁵Is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil;

⁶Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth;

⁷Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

⁸Caritas never falleth away: whether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be destroyed.

⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.

¹¹When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child.

¹²We see now through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face. Now I know I part; but then I shall know even as I am known.

¹³And now there remain faith, hope, and caritas, these three: but the greatest of these is caritas.

Prophecies in part, knowledge in part, desire to overcome the gap, in full, willingness to stay, and listen, and learn, and understand, that's agape.



With a sniff of postmodernity in the reckless pursuit of the paradox:
that
love can never be enough,
communication can never be perfect,
and I cannot be you.