English
EspañolWith the eyes of love, we can see beyond the superficial. We can see the virtues and dreams of the one we love; we see him as a human being with a body and a soul, with dignity and the right to be loved in his richness and miseries. We see this with the gaze of realistic and mature love.
Text
“Love opens our eyes and enables us to see, beyond all else, the great worth of a human being.” (The Joy of Love, n.128)
Commentary
The eye of love sees the plus ultra. It is realistic instead of being “over the moon.” It unites in the most intimate; it goes beyond the superficial.
Loving someone makes us able to know him on the inside, with a clean and disinterested gaze, valuing the true beauty of his person, that of his soul or heart. It allows us to know his good side and also his limitations and defects. Love appreciates what is essential; it does not get lost in the superficial.
We must learn to look at each other beyond the physical, which in our society is too exalted, and thus stop seeing each other simply as attractive objects that we want to possess.
Each person contains within himself a unique richness that we must learn to discover because it will be the nourishment of love. This knowledge is achieved with deep dialogue and respectful treatment by listening to each other. No one loves what he or she does not know. If you want to love and be truly loved, you must see “beyond” appearances. You have to appreciate the intimate worth of a person. Authentic love is not rooted in the external but unites people within, in the best part of their intimacy.
Does your gaze see that plus ultra? Because if you do not honestly know your beloved, or what would be worse, if he has nothing inside due to his frivolity or immaturity, a loving relationship will last for as long as it takes for a straw to turn to ashes. It will not bring you anything good and can harm you quite a lot.
