Love and Charity

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; (1 Cor 13:4-5 KJV)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (1 Cor 13:4-5 NIV)

In the thirteenth chapter of Corinthians some translations use the word charity for love and in others the word love is used instead of charity. The two words are intricately connected. Love promotes charity. Unfettered charity is most usually a result of love. We give because we love. We love because Jesus loves us so much that he was willing to give his life that we might live.

It is unfathomable to me that anyone would put their personal pleasures before the needs; the safety; the well-being of someone that they claim to love. But, it happens. It happens a lot! Children are neglected and abused because the parent has priorities for themselves than truly loving their children. Elderly parents are neglected because children have better things to do. 

I am not sure how we've come to this place where narcissism is so prevalent. Maybe, it has always been there; but, we just never noticed because we too were stuck in that place where we thought that we have to love ourselves before we can love others. When we think like that we can get stuck in a place where there is no love or charity for others because we never quite to the place where we love ourselves unconditionally. What happens instead is that we keep striving to make ourselves happy; but, we keep failing because happiness and joy actually comes from being in relationships with God and with others which we have neglected in the pursuit of making ourselves happy.

St. Paul wrote to the Philippians: "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." (Phil 2:1-4)

Jesus gave us the commandment to love others as he loves us. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:34-35)

May God grant us all a spirit of love and charity that we might live in joy and in peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Love Does Not Fail

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Cor 13:4-8a NIV)

One of the most often requested readings for weddings is found in 1 Corinthians 13. It is good advice for two people who are about to commit their whole earthly lives to one another. Love does not fail. However, due to our sinful natures we often fail to love. Marriages fall apart because we love ourselves or someone or something else more than the one we have committed to spend the rest of our lives with. Marriages are not the only relationships that fail due to a lack of love. Relationships with family, friends, community also fail and bring much sorrow because of a lack of love.

The greatest gifts, says St. Paul, is love. God has given us love in His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no greater love than a love that is willing die for others, as Jesus died for us. We respond to His love by sharing that love with others. The love from God does not fail. It can move mountains and crush molehills. The love of God inspires us to inspire others with His love.

Live life! Share His love!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Love

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Love is not self-serving; rather, it is about serving others. In other words love is not all about me. That word "love" gets thrown around a lot. There are many kinds of love. We love our friends in one way. We love our spouses in another way. We even love our enemies and pray for them. Whomever it is that we love, we ought to understand that genuine love calls for a commitment. Genuine love will make sacrifices for those whom we claim to love even as God sacrificed His only begotten Son on the cross because of His great love for us.

Love is not just a word. Love is action. It calls us to put the welfare of others before us. It calls us to take up our cross and follow Jesus for the sake of others that God who loves us so deeply might be glorified.

Love the Lord your God. Love others in the Spirit of Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J