The toughness of Christian love

That toughness comes from the supernatural grace of God. It is not just a human love, based only on natural forces, principles and motives which, given our wounded condition, are always hounded by our infranatural tendencies toward envy, anger, hatred, jealousy and the like.

- Fr. Roy Cimagala [e-mail]

Christian love does not suppress what is human and natural in us. It simply elevates and purifies it. And as such it can manage to have a universal scope that can include even loving our enemies.

It is this love that, as St. Paul said, would enable us to be all things to all men (cfr. 1 Cor 9,22), allowing us to adapt ourselves to all kinds of people, situations and conditions.

Indeed, St. Paul made this beautiful hymn of Christian love when he said: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Cor 13,4-7)