Word to the Wise
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - Our Lady of Sorrows
[1 Corinthians 12:31 - 13:13 and John 19:25-27 OR Luke 2:33-35]So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor)
It is not uncommon for someone to ask me at a wedding reception how many weddings I have celebrated. The answer, every time, is, "I don't know!" But I can say with confidence that the majority of them included the passage from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians that is the first scripture for today! Everyone in the pews, especially the married ones, wants to hear the words, "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" I can see some elbow nudging going on in the congregation! The love of which St. Paul speaks, however, is broader than the marriage commitment. It refers to all human relationships, especially those which involve disciples of Jesus. Interestingly enough, the context for the passage is one of "gift" - a "greatest spiritual gift!" Love is about the ultimate gift, the gift of oneself, without keeping account of how much we "get back" from the ones we love! St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that love is the only thing that makes sense of why Jesus submitted to death on the cross. St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians speaks eloquently of the cost of love when he lists the trials and challenges his ministry has brought to him. (2 Cor.6). As I look into the starry eyes of a bride and groom during the reading of this scripture, I think of the challenges ahead of them! When I meet those who serve the poor in whatever profession or position they hold, I see that only love can keep them at it! When I think, gratefully, of the friendships the Lord has sent my way, I realize how deep is the gift of love that God offers to us to share with others. But it requires effort - daily effort! After reading the entire passage - which I hope you'll do! - it might be worthwhile to "do a history of love" in your life. If that "greatest of all gifts" seems absent, we might ask ourselves WHY? It is a gift that is freely available to everyone from God. Yes, the gift has to be "opened" and shared. Yes, it will require some maintenance and pain (like strong exercise, and sometimes worse). It should not surprise us that the greatest of all gifts should make the greatest of demands! AMEN