What is Love... and Love... and Love... and Love?

I love my mom...

I love my friends...

I love my fiance...

I love brownie sundaes with whipped cream and hot fudge?

All of the above is true, at least for me. I've made each of these statements at certain times in my life (and no I won't disclose which one more than the others!).

LOVE - Same word in each statement, but meaning something totally different each time.

Quick Greek Lesson:

Storge - Affection, familial love
Philia - Friendship love
Eros - Physical love, object love
Agape - Unconditional love

The Greeks have FOUR different words for love. I'm not saying we need to add any more confusion to the English language (or maybe I am) but the fact that we can say "I love my wife" and "I love pizza" in the same sentence and not raise any eyebrows is a problem. The L word is completely misused today, most especially among young people.

So how about that brownie sundae? What kind of love does that fit under?

Well, no one is related to a brownie sundae, so it's not family love. There may be some pretty lonely people in this world, but even lonely people have better friends than something that melts if not consumed within ten minutes of buying it - not philia. Can you "agape" a brownie sundae? Sure, but I suggest you seriously consider counseling if you're willing to take a bullet for your dessert (even if it comes from Applebee's). That leaves one possibility - Eros. Yes, the same way of loving that is meant to go hand in hand with agape, is used to describe my feelings toward brownie sundaes.

In Deus Caritas Est, the first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, the Pope brilliantly explains the intended relationship of Eros (which seeks to receive) and Agape (which seeks to give). We can see why eros would be the love of objects such as favorite games, sports teams, and food. In saying we love those things, we're expecting to get something from them. This is not a bad thing. What is bad is when we apply this to the human person, and neglect agape. What is bad is when people think that love is something they should "feel" and something that should make them happy.

Too many people out there are looking for love in order to GET, not give. And what our Holy Father would say, much more eloquently and with much deeper implications than I can convey right now, is that it is only when you love unconditionally (as Christ did on the cross) that you get anything in return. It starts with making someone else happy. Happiness comes with bringing joy to others. This is when the eros becomes a physical expression of the agape.

Jesus happily died on the cross for us. Despite His pain and suffering, He was never bitter about what He did. He understood the relationship and he knows that real love is in laying down your life for the one you love - the Church, His Bride.

Bella Doing Just Swell-a

Bella Sees Strong Sales on Opening Weekend, 2nd Highest Per Theater

Some highlights from the article:

"Bella... opened solidly with $1.3 million over the weekend in a limited release in just 31 cities. Though other movies achieved higher gross sales, they needed significantly more theaters to do so."

"[Saw IV] had the highest per theater average of any in the top ten with $10,087 per theater over 3,183 theaters across the nation. Bella firmly established itself in second place with $7,784 on average at each of the 167 theaters where it opened this weekend."

"Bella opens in another 12 cities on November 9, including Albuquerque, Des Moines, Duango, Colorado, El Paso, Green Bay, Honolulu, Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Pittsburgh and Tucson."

"The sales figures could prompt its distributor to move to a larger release in the coming weeks."

The New View on Sex

The New View on Sex

Another great blog from two chastity educators reaching out to the world to offer a fresh perspective on sexuality. No puritanism, no overindulgence, just the truth about life and the human body. They've got some great posts that are both informative and generate some good discussion. Make your way over there and check it out. Oh, and I'm so getting a banner like theirs for Rise of the TOB!!

Bella is Beautiful!

Bella Website
Theaters Showing Bella

A few weeks go I had the privilege of seeing a screening of the the Toronto Film Festival's People's Choice Award winning film, Bella. Although it has been well promoted for a very under-the-radar, independent type of film, I was still very unclear as to the type of movie it was. I can say now that I am happy I knew little about it, and I don't intend to spoil the plot here for anyone else.

What I will say is this... GO SEE IT! Storm the theaters this weekend - it opens this Friday, October 26 - and let the movie industry folks know that these are the types of movies people want to see.

It's simple, heartfelt, and down-to-earth. The acting is good and the characters are easy to love. It's not like most American movies, in fact it's quite different. I believe the difference is that its much more real that anything Hollywood has been spewing lately.

I'm a big movie fan. I like action, I like comedy, I like sci-fi. I'm critical of suspect acting and cheesiness. I like explosions and special effects, but I like it with a dose of meaning and a sound message. While Bella isn't the type of movie to warrant CGI or expert stunt men, it is a movie I fell in love with for its gripping story and brave theme. There's nothing corny about it. It's just a great all-around flick.

So, drag your friends out. Treat your parents or your kids. Take your significant other. It's a movie that all should see to remind us what we can do with the power of media.

The New Sexual Revolution

The New Sexual Revolution Blog

Seriously, go check out this blog. I am so excited that I came upon it! Total TOB geek out in progress! Anyways, this blog's run by a group of young men and women on fire, spreading the Gospel of Life, and giving tips for how to live it. Considered it added to the blogroll.

A Look at the Theology of the Body

You can't have too many introductions to TOB, here's a nice little summary

40 Days