Diocesan Resources
Eros and Agape: Expressions of Love in Sacramental Marriage by Dr. Joann Heaney-Hunter (2006)
Eros and Agape: Expressions of Love in Sacramental Marriage by Dr. Joann Heaney-Hunter, October 4-5, 2006, University of Notre Dame
Pope Benedict’s first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, restores a positive connection between eros and agape, and sets out a beautiful vision for the expression of love in sacramental marriage. The purpose of this essay is to explore some ways that sacramental couples unite eros and agape in their expression of love.
Sacramental couples are invited to see everything as gift, and to embody God’s life, which unites eros and agape in a unique way. Sacramental marriage is a school where couples learn what it means to be followers of Christ. In pursuing the vocation of active love, in yielding to one another, in being bread for each other, in healing each others’ wounds and helping each other grow, couples conform more closely to the mind and heart of Christ (Phil. 2:5) This sort of love expresses concretely the union of eros and agape, and, as Benedict puts it, perceives the needs of the world with a “heart that sees where love is needed and acts accordingly.” (Deus Caritas Est, no. 31.)
Sharing of self with others is at the heart of sacramental marriage, where couples in so many unsung ways manifest the vision that eros and agape can be one in human relationships. Our expression of love is an expression of God’s love – combining eros and agape in a lifegiving relationship that fulfills the individual person and enriches the world. Deus Caritas Est can be a reminder of the deeper meaning of sacramental marriage for all who read it.