love

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Wednesday, 13 February 2013 : Ash Wednesday (First Reading)

Joel 2 : 12-18

YHVH says, “Yet even now, return to Me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Rend your heart, not your garment. Return to YHVH, your God – gracious and compassionate.”

YHVH is slow to anger, full of kindness, and He repents of having punished. Who knows? Probably He will relent once more and spare some part of the harvest from which we may bring sacred offerings to YHVH, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion, proclaim a sacred fast, call a solemn assembly. Gather the people, sanctify the community, bring together the elders, even the children and infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his bed, and the bride her room.

Between the vestibule and the altar, let the priests, YHVH’s ministers, weep and say : “Spare your people, YHVH. Do not humble them or make them an object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples : Where is their God?”

YHVH has become jealous for His land; He has had pity on His people.

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Sunday, 10 February 2013 : 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time and Chinese New Year (Scripture Reflection)

We have seen today, that the Lord is everything for us, and He loves, and cares for us deeply. There is no other being with greater love. He provided for us in our daily lives, He guided us, taught us, and blessed us with abundance. That we have enough but not excessive, so that we may live comfortably, but not be ensnared by the lures of money and therefore greed.

As today, Chinese around the world celebrate Chinese New Year, the most important day in the whole Chinese calendar year, let us reflect on the readings today, with regards on the matter of blessing and prosperity, on which Chinese New Year frequently base itself on. On Chinese New Year, we Chinese visit one another in the family and relatives, and bring one another the spirit of joy and love. The day is a celebration of life, and of love, through the family blessed by God with ample goods and graces. This is what we should remember on this festive Chinese New Year day, and not instead, the culture of materialism, that increasingly become more and more common amongst Chinese, and people around the world in general.

Chinese New Year has often been associated with wealth, prosperity, money, auspiciousness, and lavishness, with lavish reunion dinners, lavish new clothings, and concerns about etiquette while visiting one another. In today’s modern world, intense commercialisation and materialism has led to Chinese New Year celebrations to become increasingly elaborate. This also applies to other types of celebrations around the world, which are becoming increasingly commercialised and with focus placed much on the glamour and glitz instead of the true meaning of the celebrations themselves.

Jesus reminded us today, that God as our Father has given us everything that we need, and that He as the Ultimate Judge of all life too, has the life of all creation known and measured, without our knowledge of these. Indeed, no matter how much wealth we accumulate in this life on earth, how many houses, cars, or even private jets we have, ultimately, when we die, we will not bring these with us. What we instead bring with us is just ourselves, our soul. Will you rather choose to be wealthy in this world and then judged unworthy by the Lord in the end? To suffer separation from Him all eternity, out of which there is no hope? Or would you rather to be not so wealthy in this world, but build up spiritual wealth instead, and be richly rewarded by God for your meaningful life filled with actions out of love for others and God?

Do not however, be mistaken. God does not hate or condemn wealth and money, and indeed, naturally, we need those to support ourselves, our own families, and to live rather comfortably. However, the main point is, not to be mastered by these instead of us mastering them. We must take charge of our wealth, and whenever we can, try to share some with the less fortunate.

Unfortunately, in our present day world, as it had happened in the past as well, many people guard their treasures with greed and jealousy, without even thinking of others in need. Many concern themselves everyday on the pursuit of gathering more wealth, buying more luxury goods, possessing more cars and other amenities, until to the point that they are actually mastered and enslaved by wealth, instead of the other way around.

Wealth is not everything indeed, and although it is essential, we Christians should heed the message in the readings today, to know how to feel ‘enough’, to know the ‘limit’ of our wishes, and to know how to be satisfied. We should look at others around us, when we are engrossed in our pursuit of wealth and prosperity, so excessive that we neglect even to look around. There are many others amongst us who are not so fortunate, and these people are already very thankful when they even have enough to eat for the day, and there are even those who do not have enough.

One may then ask, isn’t the Lord saying that He provides enough for all of us everyday? Then why are there these people who beg? Why are there people who hunger? Why then there are people who still die of neglect and poverty? This is because, the Lord does His work, through us, through His children, and Jesus taught us in the Scripture to give thanks to God for what we receive, and to share them with our fellow brothers and sisters in God.

It is we who ought to open our ‘granaries’ of food and ‘banks’ of wealth to share some of excesses we have, which we do not need, with those who cannot afford them. Remember, the Lord does not disdain or hate wealth, it is just that He wants all of us to live happily in love, sharing our joy together, sharing our sorrow together, in a community based in the faith in the Lord, who gives enough to all everyday, without the need to worry.

The poor no longer will need to worry about what they will survive on tomorrow, and whether their children will be taken care of properly, and the rich will also no longer need to worry about what investment to make tomorrow, where to profit on tomorrow, and what car or what property to buy tomorrow. Do as you always do, and work as you have always worked, but do not make yourselves slaves to your career and to whatever you are doing. Rather, always remember the Lord in all things that we do, and make Him the centre of our lives. We will realise that once we put God into all things that we do, we will no longer desire more and more, and will be satisfied with whatever blessings and generous gifts God has given us.

Let us therefore, in this Chinese New Year celebration, renew the commitment to love one another, and not just within one’s family, but also to others beyond that, for we are all one family in Christ. While we party, drink, and eat much food, remember always in our prayers those who are less fortunate. Whatever excesses we have in our celebration, let us pass them to them, that they too will be able to joyfully participate in the celebration. Let us be inclusive as the Lord wants us to be, and not be greedy and exclusive.

All said, as the other readings show us, we still have our missions to fulfill, namely to reach out to others who have yet to listen to the Word of God and the Good News, and that is why Christ told His disciples on the boat to go out and put the net out to the deep. So far, we have caught the ‘fish’ on the surface and those who are near, but there are many who are located deeper and farther away from the love of God, who are yet caught by us.

Christ made Simon the fisherman into Peter the fisher of man, and so did He make the other Apostles fishers of men. This mission, reiterated by Christ after His resurrection, to go out to all the nations and deliver to them the Good News of the Lord, and baptise them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, is still true today, and all of us Christians, should also reach out further and deeper, to those amongst us, who are yet to receive the grace of the Word of God.

Do not worry that we cannot do this mission as Christ asked us to. Remember that God provides everything for us, and He will provide all that we need to do our mission. We can begin simply with our own lives, to live a life of love and faith to God, such that we become such a shining beacon of goodness, that others will come to us, and through us, God will make His wonderful work, and the Word of God will be brought to all mankind, even through just one faithful and dedicated disciple of the Lord.

Let us be fishers of men, just like the Apostles, beginning from ourselves, and even our own families. I myself came from a non-Christian family background, and although my mother is a Catholic, but my father is not, and he was a very staunch follower of his own beliefs. It is not easy to bring the Word of God, the Good News to everyone, but we can begin indeed in showing that God is Love, and through His Spirit, that our own actions will be filled with love and all, even those who do not yet believe in God, will believe in Him, through us, and our actions.

May God bless all of us on this wonderful day, and bless all the Chinese people throughout the world celebrating this magnificent Chinese New Year, and remind us always that on top of the parties and the celebrations that we have, we also have a mission to do, that is to share the Good News to all, and indeed, to share the joy, happiness, and blessings that we receive, particularly on this festive moment, with those who have little or none. God bless us all, and bless His holy Church! Amen.

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Regarding Chinese New Year Day Mass (Special Mass)

With regards to today, Sunday, 10 February 2013, which is the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time, in some areas where Chinese New Year is celebrated by Chinese people around the world, special Mass might be adopted instead, namely the Chinese New Year Day Mass with a different set of readings from the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time.

The vestments used are also red in colour, instead of the usual green (for Ordinary Time). Even though Sundays, like Sunday of the Ordinary Time should take precedence over other celebrations, even Feasts of Saints, it seems that although Chinese New Year is a cultural event and non-Christian in origin, but it is important enough for all the Chinese people, including Chinese Christians (Catholics) that in areas where Chinese New Year is celebrated, special dispensation for Chinese New Year Mass is allowed.

Note : Red is a very auspicious and preferred colour to the Chinese, and this is why, Chinese New Year, being the most important event in the Chinese calendar year, has red all over the place, and the red vestments used in the Mass represents this symbolism of Chinese New Year. It is also a colour of joy and love in the Catholic Church, also used mainly to represent martyrs, and God’s own Sacrifice out of His love for us on Good Friday. In addition, oranges are often given out after the Mass as a symbol of blessings for the new year, with the oranges being blessed by holy water prior to distribution. This custom is special, and only occurs in Chinese New Year Mass.

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Saturday, 9 February 2013 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflection)

God, is our shepherd, and He is the good shepherd who gave none other but Himself for the sake of His sheep, all of us here in this world, past, present, and the future. We do not entrust ourselves on simply any being, but the very Son of God Himself, whose Precious Blood redeemed us from our sins. Jesus as the good shepherd laid down His life for His sheep, and it is through His obedience of the Father’s will to die on the cross, that all of us today have hope of everlasting life. Without Christ and His Sacrifice, we cannot be so sure of our victory over sin and over evil. Christ, as our shepherd, bought us with nothing else other than His Blood, precious and priceless as it is.

The duties of a shepherd are many, and these include having to feed the flock, the sheep, and to guide them to avoid predators and seek good sources of water and food, for the multitudes of sheep in the flock. Therefore, Christ too, during His ministry in this world, was overcome with the great love He has for us, since above all, He as our shepherd truly loves His sheep, and not like those who are paid to take care of the sheep, Christ, as the good shepherd stood ready to give His life up for us, that all of us will have hope, that is of eternal life in God.

In our world today, there are many forms of temptations and easily, if we do not anchor ourselves strongly in faith in God, and in God’s divine love, we can be led astray by these temptations and succumb to worldly desires, rather than following the path the Lord wants for us. In that state, we are indeed likened to sheep wandering around without a shepherd, running around randomly, just following the current and the flow of the modern society, wherever it brings us to. No, we should strive to take up a stand, in order to stand up to our faith, and give testimonies of our faith in our good shepherd, that we, the sheep, love the Lord too, just as He loves us.

God is so selfless in giving Himself up to pay for our own rebellion against Him. We, who deserved death and eternal separation from Him, were not only given another chance, but were given also the very chance to be the part of creation into which the Lord was incarnated into, as Jesus, as a part of the great effort God has undertaken for the salvation of all mankind.

Despite our rebellious nature, just like the people of Israel, whom, if we read the Old Testament, were very difficult to satisfy and always caused troubles to our Lord by their worship of foreign gods and idols, the Lord was ever-ready to welcome them back if His beloved children are truly repentant, and willing to embrace Him again in love, and this, was sealed as a new Covenant, by the Sacrifice Christ made on the Cross, that justify all of us who believed in Him.

In our own lives, all of us can become shepherds too, to one another. There are many of our dear brothers and sisters, who are still lost and did not know their way, in the darkness of the world. They have yet to receive the light of the Lord, which will illuminate their path. Let us therefore, imitate the example of Christ as the good shepherd, who brought His sheep into good and fertile places, and ensured that they all have ample to eat.

Let us share with one another, the Word of God, our spiritual food, which when shared, we too share in the Lord’s ministry as a shepherd to our fellow brethren in Christ. Support one another in faith, and in love, and do not leave anybody behind in sorrow and hopelessness. Rather, help one another in our way towards Christ, that eventually, all of us, will be reunited with God, who is our Brother, our Good Shepherd, and our loving Father at the same time.

May God bless us all in our daily lives, and give us the courage to live according to our faith, and to share God’s love with all mankind. Amen.

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Being Chinese… and being Christian. Happy Chinese New Year! (Sunday, 10 February 2013)

We are Chinese, but we are also Christian. What does this mean? Let us temper the overemphasis on prosperity and excessive focus on greatness, success, and fame, with the Christian values of humility, love, and compassion.

Remember that while the most important of all the celebrations of the Chinese culture is coming up tomorrow, namely Chinese New Year itself, after all the celebrations, the joys, and the parties, we have to settle down and prepare ourselves for the season of Lent which will begin on next Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, and 4th day of the Chinese New Year.

Share your excess graces and blessings with those who need them more, and share with them too your love and your joy. In doing this, you have gained a greater wealth that will not be lost, that is life eternal. What use is there to accumulate wealth that will eventually be lost? We will not carry our wealth with us when the time comes for us to return to the Lord.

Let us share, and while still keeping some for ourselves, it does not hurt to give as much as we can give, that all those around us will also share in our happiness. God loves those who love their brothers and sisters as themselves, and He loves those who look kindly on those weakest, least, and lowest in the society.

Happy Chinese New Year to all Chinese around the world! and may God bless you all in this coming year!

And may the Lord bless all of you too with a fruitful Lenten season which will come soon, that all of us will be ready for the celebration of the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection.

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Friday, 8 February 2013 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome Emiliani, and St. Josephine Bakhita, Virgin (First Reading)

Hebrews 13 : 1-8

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to offer hospitality; you know that some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember prisoners if you were with them in chains, and the same for those who are suffering. Remember that you also have a body.

Marriage must be respected by all, and husband and wife faithful to each other. God will punish the immoral and the adulterous.

Do not depend on money. Be content with having enough for today for God has said : “I will never forsake you or abandon you”, and we shall confidently answer : “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Consider their end and imitate their faith. Christ Jesus is the same today as yesterday and forever.

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Wednesday, 6 February 2013 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Sts. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Scripture Reflection)

Today we learn that the Lord loves and cares for us, just like a father to all of us. He can be strong and demanding, especially when we go astray from the right path, just like a father disciplining his children. However, God can indeed also be kind and loving as a father is, for God’s love is true and pure, and unfathomable in its extent.

We do not have to literally shed blood in the struggle against sin, as the question in the first reading from the letter to the Hebrews mentioned. But we have to always remember that, Christ Himself had shed His Precious Blood in the ultimate struggle against evil and sin. It is through this Blood in the Sacrifice, that all of us are set free from the chains of sin and slavery of evil.

Through Christ as well, all of us become God’s children, since by becoming human Himself like all of us, Christ the Lord became the most beloved of God’s creation. Since Christ is a brother to all of us, through Him, God is no longer distant, but God is just like our Father. This is why Jesus taught us the perfect prayer, the Pater Noster, which refers to God as our Father.

God is evidently fatherlike in His dealings with His chosen people, the people of Israel. Whenever they disobeyed Him and even abandoned Him for the other gods, you may think that the Bible seemed to show that the Lord has also abandoned Israel. But no, in fact, God remains faithful as He is always, even when His beloved children were always unfaithful. In the end, God loves all His children so much, that He gave Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ, who is one with Him in the Trinity to redeem us from our rebellious ways and our sinful nature, in order to be reunited with all of us again at the end of time, for all time.

To all who have families, and who are parents, you should aim to follow the example of the Lord in being the parent of your children, through masterful balance between discipline and love. Even all acts of discipline and tough measures ultimately must be based in love, for all these that we do, are all because we love the children, not because we despise or hate the children.

Parents, love your children; and children, love your parents. Let us all imitate the love that the Lord has for all of us, and the love that Jesus has for God, His Father in Heaven. It is through Christ’s full obedience to the Father that all of us are saved. Therefore, let us also be obedient to our own parents and to our Father in heaven, God who loves all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Miki

Today we commemorate the feast of Saints Paul Miki and his companions who were Japanese Christians martyred for their faith, and until the end, they stay strong in their faith, and was crucified in Nagasaki in 1597, during the time when persecution of Christians began in Japan. Christians were forced to abandon their faith or be killed by crucifixion, in the parody of the Christian faith.

Those who abandoned the faith and chose life were made to trample on the crosses and the images of the faith, and in that way, they saved their lives, but lost their soul. St. Paul Miki and his companions in Christ did not falter, and when forced to march hundreds of kilometres from the capital Kyoto to Nagasaki, they sing the Te Deum, a hymn which glorifies the Lord and praises Him for His kindness. And most importantly, St. Paul Miki forgave all his executioners and those who tortured him and his companions, just as Christ did on the cross.

Can we also have the courage and spirit to forgive those who has inflicted pain and suffering on us, instead of hating and creating even more violence? Let us therefore follow the example of St. Paul Miki and his martyred companions, and also follow the example of the Lord as a good shepherd and a good Father to all of us, that we can make our families, holy families in Christ, a loving and caring family, which will ultimately will lead to a loving and wonderful society, and a loving world. Pray for us St. Paul Miki and Companions! Amen.

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Sunday, 3 February 2013 : 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflection)

The Lord presented to us, the greatest thing of all that exists in this world. This thing is Love. Love is the centre of all things, and indeed, love is at the very centre of the salvific mission of Christ in the world. For it may be asked, why God who is so great and so divine, would be willing to lower Himself such as to become a humble human like us. It is all because of love. Just as said in John 3 : 16, how God loves as so much that He gave us His only Son, Jesus Christ, that we can be saved and have hope for eternal life. If God has no love for us, surely He would not have done that.

Love is indeed essential for all of us, and as the Lord mentioned the most important things of all, faith, hope, and love, with love being the most important of the three. For faith is inseparable from love, since when we have faith in someone, particularly God, we must also have love, since it is impossible to believe and put all of one’s trust in someone, when in that one’s heart, there is no love at all for the other person. The Lord, who is full of love is therefore also faithful to us, and despite our constant rebellions and sinful ways, He is always ready to welcome us back if we are truly sorry of our faults and once again love Him.

Hope itself is also tied with love, as one cannot hope without love in their hearts. Since first, because all hopes are ultimately directed to God, how can one hope without first having love and faith in God? Indeed, one has to first believe in God and His power, that there is hope. It is through faith in God that we can have hope in Him, and indeed, hope in all mankind. By having faith, it means we also have love, and thus, this is why, love is at the centre, the most important thing of all that matters.

It is important to love, as without love, we are just a husk of flesh and blood without character, since our character is defined by love that is in us. Love that we have in God allows us to remain faithful to Him and keep Him always in our hearts, and always keep hope in Him, that even in the greatest darkness and times of greatest trouble, we still believe that God will help us find a way, such is the great love that He has for us, especially when we love Him too in return.

For the Lord has suffered greatly on the cross for us, all for our sake and for our liberation from sin, out of simple and pure love. It is Christ’s love for His Father that helped Him to persevere through His Passion, and allowed Him to accept willingly the chalice of suffering that He is to drink. This chalice of suffering, which then is filled with His Precious Blood, is the new covenant upon which we have our hope of eternal life. For the Lord brought with Him a new covenant in place of the old, that now through His great love for all mankind, all creation can be saved instead of just the people of Israel, God’s chosen people.

The people of Israel indeed has been God’s chosen people, and God has endured their numerous rebellions and protests with His love and patience, to still save them through the Sacrifice of His Son. However, ultimately, God’s love is such that He wants all of mankind to be saved and reunited with Him once again.

Thus, the new Covenant made by Christ covers all mankind, and no longer just cover only the people of Israel. Jesus made this clear in the Gospel today, as He mentioned how God sent His prophets to the people that do not belong to the Houses of Israel, even when there are so many others in Israel that need them as well. This is because even within Israel itself at the time, there are many who turned deaf to the word of God, shunned and even killed His prophets. Indeed, there are many examples given such as the widow of Zarephath and Naaman, the Syrian, who shows that faith and thus the love of God too existed in all peoples, even beyond Israel.

It does not mean that God hates the people of Israel and do not love them anymore. On the contrary, His love is as great as it has always been. Indeed, God sent His Son to be born into the House of David, as a fulfillment of His promise to David that his line and descendant will rule forever. This is fulfilled in Christ, who is both the Son of God, and the descendant of David, who will rule as King of all the Universe for all time. You can indeed see how faithful God is indeed to all His promises, just as how great is His love. God loves His chosen people, the first-called people of Israel, but He also love all others, all Gentiles, even more.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us has an important mission in our lives. Just like Jeremiah, who was chosen and called by God to be His prophet to all people, we too have been called, through our baptism. We all have a priestly, kingly, and prophetic role to fulfill upon our baptism, as we are called to be all these three, just as Christ who is our God, and also our High Priest, our great King, and our great Prophet of the Good News.

We have to bring the Good News to all around us, especially for those who seek the Word of God and have no chance to do so. In our daily lives too, we all should strive to put love at the centre of all our actions. In doing so, not only that we do the will of God by both loving Him with all our hearts, our minds, and our souls, but also love our neighbour as we love ourselves, just as Christ commanded us through His new commandment of love. Our faith will also grow and blossom, and bear fruits many hundredfold if we keep ourselves anchored in the love of God.

Remember, that God is Love (Deus Caritas est). Amen.

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On China, the Faith, and the Catholic Church

http://www.firstthings.com/article/2009/05/chinas-catholic-moment-1243211148

A very well written article, summarising the condition of the faith in China and the developments (up to 2009 – sadly to say in the next few years after that until today, relations had gone from bad to worse).

A good quote from the article (2 paragraphs near the end) :

“Beijing always has such priorities as the economy, unemployment, ties with Taiwan, and relations with the United States—all good reasons to put the Catholic issue on the back burner. But Catholics could become a major issue for Beijing if radicals get the upper hand. The Chinese leadership has trouble understanding what the power of the Catholic Church is and to what extent it might represent a benefit or a danger.”

“The trouble is that Beijing thinks of the Vatican in purely political terms and cannot quite grasp that the mission of the Church is spiritual rather than temporal. China’s leaders simply do not have the historical and cultural references to understand the Church after the Second Vatican Council. Beijing wants to offer Rome a minimum presence on a trial basis, waiting to see the result. In turn, Rome is wary that the Chinese Communist party will exploit ties with Rome without making the substantial concessions required for effective communication between the Vatican and Chinese Catholics.”

China is the world’s fastest growing Christian nation, but as outlined in this article, most Chinese Christians learn about the faith from ambiguous and untrained sources, self-learning the faith rather than properly, and many of these ‘preachers’ are not even mainstream Christians at best, reason why I noticed more than half of Chinese Christian immigrants in Italy who are Jehovah’s Witness and other non-Christian entities claiming to be Christian (a data from a region in Italy mentioned about 92% non-Christians, 8% Christians, with Catholics numbering only 3.5% of the 8%, Jehovah’s Witness made the bulk of the non-Catholic Christians). This is the danger when one simply take the faith upon him/herself, and not being in communion with the whole Universal Church, where we can learn and understand the faith more and appropriately, through the teachings and traditions handed down to us from the Apostles.

Let us pray and work indeed that, all Christians in China (and beyond) will return to the One and only Church, established by Christ. China indeed is the future of the Church, and there is more than a billion potential new Catholics (and Christians) out there in that country. The faith is not necessarily against the rich Chinese tradition and culture, and in fact, the faith only serve to enrich that great culture even more. Remember yesterday’s Gospel reading, that no matter how much prosperity and affluence you have, if you have no love, you are nothing.

Faith adds this love, as the core of every being, to anchor the person firmly in God, and make them from nothing, to the greatest of all.

+Ut Omnes Unum Sint, ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam

(That they all may be One, for the greater glory of God)

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Sunday, 3 February 2013 : 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

1 Corinthians 12 : 31 – 1 Corinthians 13 : 13

Be that as it may, set your hearts on the most precious gifts, and I will show you a much better way.

If I could speak all the human and angelic tongues, but had no love, I would only be sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, knowing secret things with all kinds of knowledge, and had faith great enough to remove mountains, but had no love, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I had to the poor, and even give up my body to be burned, if I am without love, it would be of no value to me.

Love is patient, kind, without envy. It is not boastful or arrogant. It is not ill-mannered nor does it seek its own interest. Love overcomes anger and forgets offenses. It does not take delight in wrong, but rejoices in truth. Love excuses everything, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love will never end. Prophecies may cease, tongues be silent, and knowledge disappear. For knowledge grasps something of the truth and prophecy as well. And when what is perfect comes, everything imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I thought and reasoned like a child, but when I grew up, I gave up childish ways. Likewise, at present we see dimly as in a mirror, but then it shall be face to face. Now we know in part, but then I will know as I am known. Now we have faith, hope, and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.

 

(Alternative reading – shorter version, 1 Corinthians 13 : 4 – 13)

Love is patient, kind, without envy. It is not boastful or arrogant. It is not ill-mannered nor does it seek its own interest. Love overcomes anger and forgets offenses. It does not take delight in wrong, but rejoices in truth. Love excuses everything, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love will never end. Prophecies may cease, tongues be silent, and knowledge disappear. For knowledge grasps something of the truth and prophecy as well. And when what is perfect comes, everything imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I thought and reasoned like a child, but when I grew up, I gave up childish ways. Likewise, at present we see dimly as in a mirror, but then it shall be face to face. Now we know in part, but then I will know as I am known. Now we have faith, hope, and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.