Love is higher than law

The Letter to the Romans reads: “love is the fulfillment of the law” – “caritas plenitudo leg is” (13:10b). The meaning of this statement is that the laws and the commandments promote or service love.

Therefore, the actual law is the command to love. Love is first for God (cf Mk 12:30) then toward others (v31a). It also means the totality of the person who is showing love: “with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (v30).

And to tell what it means to love, Jesus describes it as ‘bearing fruit’: “And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last” (Jn 15:16b).

Jesus thus assures us who bear fruit of the Father’s response to our prayers in his name: “so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name” (Jn 15:16c).

So we keep the commandments to abide in God’s love: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12). And his way of love is that he laid down his life for us.

However, Jesus stated that “no one has greater love than this”, that is, to lay down. What then is the nature of love humanly possible for us?

It is daily sacrifices to make others better not bitter. It is keeping and sustaining God’s creation. It is to remain a friend of Christ, promoting the kingdom of love, justice and peace.