As we stand at the threshold of Lent, the liturgy of Quinquagesima Sunday presents us with two profound scriptural passages that illuminate the road ahead: St. Paul’s magnificent hymn to charity (1 Cor. 13:1–13) and St. Luke’s account of Christ foretelling His Passion while healing the blind man (Luke 18:31–43). These readings, placed before us by the wisdom of Holy Mother Church, serve as both a challenge and a consolation, calling us to embrace the primacy of charity and to walk by faith toward the light of Christ’s Paschal Mystery.
Charity: The Greatest of All Virtues
St. Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13 are among the most stirring in all of Sacred Scripture:
“If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” (1 Cor. 13:1)
These words remind us that even the most exalted gifts—eloquence, prophecy, knowledge, and even faith that moves mountains—are of no value unless they are animated by charity. Charity, or caritas, is not merely human affection, but the divine love poured into our hearts by the Holy Ghost (Rom. 5:5). St. Augustine reminds us that this love is the very bond that unites us with God:
“Charity is not simply one virtue among others, but the root and mother of all virtues. Without charity, what seem to be virtues are only shadows of virtue.” (De Doctrina Christiana, I.27)
Thus, charity is not an optional adornment of the Christian life but its very essence. St. Paul goes further, exalting charity above faith and hope:
“And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.” (1 Cor. 13:13)
Why is charity the greatest? St. Thomas Aquinas explains that faith and hope are for this life only, whereas charity endures forever in heaven. Faith will give way to sight, and hope will be fulfilled, but charity—the love of God and neighbor—will remain eternally.
The Blind Man Who Sees
The Gospel reading (Luke 18:31–43) presents a striking contrast: Christ predicts His Passion to His disciples, yet they fail to understand. Meanwhile, a blind man, seemingly the most disadvantaged of all, recognizes Jesus as the “Son of David” and cries out for mercy.
“And Jesus said to him: Receive thy sight: thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Luke 18:42)
Here we see a powerful symbol: the disciples, though physically sighted, remain blind to the mystery of the Cross, while the blind man, through the eyes of faith, perceives Christ’s true identity. St. Gregory the Great comments on this passage:
“He who sees and yet does not believe is more blind than he who does not see but yet believes.” (Homilies on the Gospels, II.39)
This man’s faith is a model for our own Lenten journey. Like him, we must cry out to the Lord, acknowledging our spiritual blindness and seeking the healing light of grace. And just as he followed Christ after receiving his sight, so too must we follow Christ on the road to Calvary.
From Blindness to the Vision of Charity
There is a profound connection between these two readings. The disciples’ failure to grasp the Passion mirrors the lack of charity St. Paul warns against. True charity is self-sacrificial, and it is in the Passion that the supreme act of divine charity is revealed:
“Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
St. John Chrysostom, reflecting on St. Paul’s words, teaches:
“The Cross is the school of charity. He who would learn perfect love must contemplate the crucified Christ.” (Homilies on 1 Corinthians, 34)
Thus, Quinquagesima Sunday calls us to open our eyes to the love of the Cross. As we prepare to enter Lent, let us heed these words of St. Paul and seek to be inflamed with true charity, which alone gives life to our faith. Let us cry out with the blind man, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”—for it is only through faith in the suffering Christ that we will receive the vision of eternal charity.
Conclusion: A Roadmap for Lent
The Church, in her wisdom, gives us these readings as a roadmap for our Lenten journey:
- St. Paul teaches us what is essential—charity.
- The blind man shows us how to obtain it—humble, persistent faith in Christ.
- Christ Himself shows us where it leads—to the Cross and beyond, into the glory of the Resurrection.
May we enter Lent with the resolve to grow in charity, embracing the Cross as the path to perfect love. Let us pray with St. Augustine:
“Give me, O Lord, the love that never fails, which the Apostle calls the bond of perfection; for I know that when I love Thee, I shall possess Thee, since Thou art love itself.” (Soliloquies, I.6)
May this be our prayer as we journey toward Easter, that we may one day see Him not as through a glass darkly, but face to face, in the perfect vision of divine charity. Amen.