Wednesday, 18 September 2024. Readings: 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13, Ps. 33:2-5,12,22, Luke 7:31-35
“If I speak in the tongues of men and angels but have no love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, understand all mysteries and knowledge, and have all faith, to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
We often take the gift of Love for granted among the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. People tend to view those who speak in tongues as holy. A lot of respect is given to those with the gift of preaching and those with the gift of healing; they are seen as demigods. But as St. Paul makes us understand in today’s first reading, the greatest gift is Love.
- St. James says: “Show me your faith apart from works, and I by my works will show you my faith.” The work that shows one’s true faith is love. In concrete terms, love is charity; the help we give to those in need, the less privileged, those with no one to help them, etc.
- In reality, those who help the poor deserve more respect and honour than those who preach, those who work miracles, the prayer warriors and even those skilled in church administration. There is no gift greater than love.
- As St. Paul teaches, let us strive, desire, and long for the highest of all gifts: love. That is to say, we should pray for the ability to put ourselves in the shoes of others and help them. Even the devil can quote the bible and preach sermons; he can pretend to be working miracles, but he cannot love. Only a truly holy person has what it takes to love.
- St. Paul did not stop at merely asking us to love; he clarifies the kind of love when he says, love is patient, kind, not jealous, not boastful, not arrogant, not rude, not irritable, not resentful, not rejoicing wrong, bears all things, believes, hopes and endures all things and above all, love never ends.
- Many may claim to love, but lacking these qualities, they practice “trade-by-barter.” Any love that cannot forgive (has an expiry date) is not love. Any love that only gives when it takes is not love. Any love that begins and ends with sexual attraction is not love. In truth, much of what our world today considers as love is not love at all. The best definition of love is the image of Christ on the Cross of Calvary.
- Our Gospel passage reminds us that we can never please human beings. No matter how hard we try or how good we may be, there will always be people to criticise us, sometimes out of genuine concern and pure hatred.
- In today's Gospel passage, Jesus asks a fundamental question: “To what shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? We piped to you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep.”
- One thing is sure: If we only try to please God with as much vigour and energy as we can in trying to please people, our lives would be much better.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, teach me to love better and to strive only to please you. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Wednesday of week 24 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13, Ps. 33:2-5, 12, 22, Luke 7:31-35).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu
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