1 Corinthians 12-13
At the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Jesus encourages us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. How do we become perfect like our heavenly Father? By loving all, Jesus teaches us. He asks us to love not only our friends but also our enemies. And it seems St Paul is writing a commentary on this teaching of love in today’s first reading: “It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
The list of the qualities of love St Paul gives us in his first letter to the Corinthians reminds me of how imperfect I am as a Christian. And it reveals how childish I am in my faith life. This list seems like a mirror image or a parallel reflection of the Beatitudes Jesus taught at the Sermon of the Mount.
The blessed ones Jesus mentions in the Beatitudes are those who exercise true love: Those poor in spirit are not boastful or arrogant but humble. Those who mourn are not irritable or resentful but sorrowful for sinners and praying for them. Those who are meek don’t act rudely or insist own ways but are kind to everyone. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness don’t rejoice in wrongdoing but give good things to all. The merciful are patient with sinners and hope all good things for everyone. Those pure in heart can see the truth clearly and rejoice in it. The peacemakers are not envious of others’ happiness but bear all. Those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake believe all teachings of Christ and endure all things for the kingdom of heaven. In short, love completes Christian virtues and leads us to Christian perfection.
Faith and hope will come to an end when we face our Lord at the Judgment. But love will continue because by love we are united forever with our Lord. This is why love is perfection and love never ends.
