From the Pastor’s Study

Reflections on the words of St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians.

This is the time of year we think about love, with Valentine’s Day coming up we sometimes miss the mark when it comes to love. There is a great emphasis placed on what to buy, or what to do to show that you love someone. While getting a small gift or token of love in itself is not bad we must really focus on what is love.

The love expressed by what God did for us in sending His Son, Christ Jesus, to atone for our sins by His death on the Cross and His conquest over Death, is a model for us to follow. The danger we must avoid is the over romanticizing of love, or at least what we think love is, especially as depicted by Hollywood and the entertainment industry. Let us look at what St. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 concerning the elements and characteristics of love.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; This aspect of love is so hard to get a grip on, especially for us men. We want our way, most of the time if we think we are right and when we don’t get our way, we become resentful or irritable. Just think about that last verse, stop and work those thoughts into your mind. Love does not seek its own way, it is not irritable nor resentful. “Love is patient and kind

“it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.　How often do we enjoy something bad befalling on someone we think deserves it or worse yet, just enjoy bad luck on someone because it seems funny at the time? Have you ever enjoyed something bad happening to someone you love, because then it becomes an ” I told you so” moment? We should always strive to seek the truth. As St. Paul wrote we should not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoice with the truth. With the truth, in other words, be on the right side of a situation, we can avoid the resentment and anger that can accompany this behavior.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.   In this verse, we see what love is supposed to be, bearing all, the good and the bad. Believes all things, this is light of truth, not gossip or lies. Hopes all things, a good encouraging way to face all things, and the most important, endures all things. Not giving up when we feel defeated. Not giving up because we don’t want to try to make the relationship work, not giving up on the one you love. Being there for all times.

Love never ends. *

The last portion of this passage speaks to that. LOVE NEVER ENDS. When we know that love will never end, when we understand that the love we model to each other is based on the love that God has shown to us in His Son, then we understand that this is forever. “He is always with us. He will never forsake us”

In conclusion one must try to reflect Christ in our day to day lives. Reflect his love towards his own, and taking his example as our own, we need to love our loved one in this way. We need to be patient and kind. We need to avoid the hurt and pain caused by envy, avoiding evil and striving to be the kind of loving person reflected in these verses that are right, good and enduring.

May God bring you the peace that passes understanding, may He bless and keep you day to day as you strive to be at peace with those you love.

Have a great week.