Love creates, consecrates, and educates children in the fullness of love.
Through eros children are begotten and conceived, in the consummation of free, mutual, and total gift of self between two— male and female, heterogenous vulnerability as luminous sanctuary, facing one another fully with no shadow of shame. Love's desire is so truly real, and love's giving so truly substantial, that God the Giver of Life overshadows it with his presence, such that the love of two as one truly might become incarnate as a new, living person; through the deep mystery of the union and from its mysterious fullness, a new soul mysteriously enters the world.
Through caring paternal and maternal sacrifice, by God's mercy and grace, the child is carried, protected, nourished and brought to light for all to see, for breath to breathe and the refreshment of hope. The hope of a child— the hope for a child— is the most ancient hope mankind has known, since we first began to hope in the infancy of our generations. For in the days when we found no other as equal to reflect the strength of love's purity, to behold the light of the sanctuary found in the face of our compliment, in those days we knew nothing but love's half-images. But when knowledge came, with it came the need for the promise of hope that love's powerful, life-giving embrace would not fail, even though we as love's image, together, are become wont to fall.
Who calls upon the name of the Almighty such as a mother in the might of her mighty labor, and who is as humbled and confounded before the wisdom of his Maker such as the father by her side? They are true and faithful witnesses to perhaps the deepest mystery: the cries of travail become the cries of an infant, the cries of glorious, luminous, miraculous new life. We are our beloved's, our beloved is ours, our banner is love. It is not good for mankind to be alone; humans need help to multiply God's blessing and be fruitful in obedience, to participate in making all things new with new life, to rest and rejoice in the newness of life.
Through philos the child is accompanied and knows the gift of companionship, delighting in the joy of fraternal affection and friendship, recognizing and receiving the goodness of the other and their gifts, and sharing their own good gifts as they share themselves with and for the good of the other. Brothers and sisters teach loyalty, collaboration, generosity, hospitality, reunion and play— and there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother, a neighbor nearby who is a very present help in the day of calamity.
Friend as sibling and sibling as friend, these lift one who has fallen down, steady one who stumbles, and stand beside one who is overcome by trouble. Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire, they break out against sound judgment and counsel. God seeks one who has been driven away, he lays down his life for his friend. The yoke of a true friend, a true brother, is easy and their burden is light— a problem shared is a problem divided, while solutions multiply where there are two or three gathered in love, and in the abundance of counselors there is wisdom— the gentle and humble of heart know that there is a time and a way for every matter, even though one's trouble may press heavy upon them. Are we not our brother's keeper?
Through storge the child grows in stature and wisdom, in the eyes of both God and mankind. They know belonging and security, they are given a place to exercise God-given purpose, growing up in the discipline that accompanies their gifting and talents. They find examples to follow and learn to imitate what is worthy of emulation, to meditate upon what is pure and noble and lovely and good, that they might demonstrate virtue even as virtue is made manifest. They learn perfection through obedience and not to despise discipline, knowing that the parent disciplines the child they love, desiring the fruit of discipline's scrutiny and the rectification of right relationship. Humility, honor, heartiness, health, the freedom of holiness and the hallowing of boundaries, love inspires and inculcates these in wisdom's children.
Family is found bound together at the table, thanksgiving flowing from one heart as the hearts of each find themselves bound together as one family. We receive and repay together as one, one household, under one name, fearing one God; our bodies become one living sacrifice given to a dying world. We show hospitality to strangers, attending angels unaware; aliens and foreigners share in one feast with us, as one people, as one nation and tribe, though love's language in us may accentuate different tones and follow diverse rhythms— through prayer we long together for one justice that prevails against the follies that divide us. The many become one, the children so varied share one genesis, love reposes all children at the bosom of one wisdom.
A child receives a name that blossoms forth with fragrant beauty, offering up for all their special scent; they discover identity in the garden of belonging, belonging in the garden of delight. The bejeweled walls and solid foundations of paradise illuminate the security of their rest; they are received and welcomed with open arms, the reception is warm and laughter is easy. The smell of the hearth reminds them always of the fire burning for them in their family's heart. A child matures, fashioned through weakness and formed for strength to serve; all manner of diligence is learned washing the feet of those at table, all manner of prudence and preparation obtained anticipating the feast, all manner of cleanliness, recovery, and restoration practiced.
Love's family celebrates the voice of wisdom from her throne, listening carefully to her clemency, observing her generosity, obeying her instruction and warning, all her children learn to ask, "What time is it?" with discerning hearts before rushing to and fro; she restrains the eager little ones, and reminds them that love is first patient and kind before it is anything else, lest they go dashing headlong without knowledge towards what they presume is good, lest they evade and avoid, or respond irreverently, with regard to what they misjudge as bad.
Love and wisdom with one voice remind the children that there is no coward among them, that for fear of mere men and the lust for peers' approval all manner of faithlessness ensnares the soul, that from the embittered heart, through the hands and the mouth all vileness and villainy flows. The family is reared in valor for virtue, raised in prudence for the prosperity of love and life. None of the household fail to know wholeness and peace, to taste grace with delight and recognize joy, to hope against the temptation to despair, to let light consider with charity what darkness would shamefully hide, to be set apart for a life of love's work.
Through agape... the child is perfected in all of love's ways. No fear where love dwells, no fear where love binds, no fear where love prevails— and its fullness shows fully that it always has, is now and will forever, fully prevail. Love gives all fully, without devising scandal or duplicitous scheming, though where love is in want those in want are wont to contend. Love is forgiving; love gives more that more may be given; love gives more, forgiving still more. Love gives itself for the good of the other, love gives itself at the cost of itself in the place of the other; love sees itself in the other, love embraces the other in itself, love heals all wounds, for it bears the wounds of the loved in its body, in the body of perfect love's perfect image perfectly borne. Through agape, the child hears, "I have loved you with an everlasting love."
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People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
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