24th Week in Ordinary Time

. . . a still more excellent way.

Love. It’s the most excellent of all spiritual gifts and virtues that St. Paul celebrates in his first letter to the Corinthians. Yes, there are the great virtues of faith and hope, but “the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). That’s because God is love.

That can sound kind of pie in the sky. What exactly is love? Paul describes it in 1 Corinthians 13:4-6. But don’t just read his words; imagine what love might look like for you. Love . . .

Is patient. When you good-naturedly listen to your spouse talk about their tough day even though yours was not much better, that’s love.

Is kind. When you save someone’s place in line even though you’re in a hurry as well, that’s love.

Is not jealous. When you smile at the attention a family member receives instead of asserting yourself, that’s love.

Is not pompous. When you catch yourself trying to look superior to a friend and instead praise her accomplishments, that’s love.

Is not rude. When you check an insulting comment before it comes out of your mouth, that’s love.

Does not seek its own interests. When you choose to put aside your plans and help a neighbor who needs a lift, that’s love.

Is not quick-tempered. When you count to ten before reacting to an abrasive coworker, that’s love.

Does not brood. When you stop rehashing all the ways someone has wronged you, that’s love.

Rejoices with the truth. When you go back to pay for an item you hadn’t been charged for at the grocery store, that’s love.

Love never fails (13:8). The love that never fails comes directly from God. It’s the love he has poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). This is an eternal love that leads us right into the courts of heaven. It’s a love that fills us to overflowing and empowers us to love one another the way he loves us.

May we all learn to live in that love!

“Lord, lead me in the most excellent way—the way of your love!”

1 Corinthians 12:31 – 13:13
Psalm 33:2-5, 12, 22
Luke 7:31-35