Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33
Gospel: John 19:25-27 or Luke 2:33-35
If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.
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.
Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor. 13:1-13)
How many of us want to be a better spouse? How many of us want to be better parents? How many of us want to be better friends? How many of us want to be better Christians? I hope that we all want to be the best that we can be, and it is my firm belief that this can only be accomplished through love. When we learn to love as we are called to, to love as Christ does, then we ultimately become better people for it. We are each called to love, and unless we are fulfilling this calling, we will always be lost.
If we want to learn to love better, then let us know and put into practice the beautiful words that Saint Paul gives us about love:
"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. Love never fails." (1 Cor. 13:4-8)I can tell you as both a husband and father that these words have helped and continue to help) me learn to love better in my own life. Through the newness of marriage, stressful situations, during late night feedings, during temper tantrums, messes, etc. Whenever I find myself growing impatient, angry, or anything, I repeat these words to myself and ask God to show me how to love better in that situation. I strongly suggest to anyone who is looking to grow and to love better in their life to commit these words to memory, and whenever you find yourself not loving as you should then repeat these words to yourself. Imagine how much better off this world would be if we all tried to love as Saint Paul tells us love should be.
If we want to grow in our lives and become all that we were created to be, then we need to go the way of love. This is not an easy path, but one that is always worth it.
Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. God, you are love, help us to love better in our lives. Lord, you way is perfect and we pray that we can let go of our own selfishness and learn to love others as we are called to. Lord, we know that love is the way, the path we should travel, help us never to veer from this path. We pray for an increase in the virtues of faith, hope and love in our own lives and in the world. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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