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Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs
1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13
Since the beginning, Christianity has been known as a religion of love.
Not love as a feeling only.
Not love as nice words.
But love made visible in mercy, service, patience, forgiveness, and sacrifice.
Saint Paul calls this the more excellent way.
The Corinthians loved spiritual gifts.
Prophecy.
Tongues.
Knowledge.
Powerful signs.
They wanted to know who had the greater gift.
Who was more important.
Who stood higher in the community.
But Paul takes them to the heart of the matter.
Without love, everything becomes empty.
I may speak with the tongues of angels.
I may understand all mysteries.
I may have faith that moves mountains.
I may give away everything I own.
I may even hand over my body.
But without love,
I am nothing.
This is a hard word.
It means that even religious things
can become empty if love is missing.
Preaching without love is noise.
Knowledge without love is pride.
Service without love is performance.
Sacrifice without love can become self-glory.
Then Paul shows us what love looks like.
Love is patient.
Love is kind.
Love is not jealous.
Love is not proud.
Love is not rude.
Love does not seek itself.
Love does not rejoice in evil.
Love bears all things.
Hopes all things.
Endures all things.
We can read these words and think of Jesus.
Jesus is patient.
Jesus is kind.
Jesus does not seek Himself.
Jesus bears all things.
Jesus endures all things.
He is love made flesh.
But then comes the more difficult question:
Can I put my own name there?
Am I patient?
Am I kind?
Do I bear with others?
Do I forgive?
Or am I easily offended,
proud,
cold,
and demanding?
Paul says that many gifts will pass away.
Prophecy will pass.
Tongues will cease.
Knowledge will pass.
Even faith and hope will one day reach their fulfillment.
But love remains.
At the evening of life, Saint John of the Cross said, we shall be judged on love.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux understood this deeply.
While searching for her place in the Church,
she found her answer in this chapter.
In the heart of the Church,
she would be love.
Today, on the memorial of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian,
martyrs for Christ,
we remember that love is stronger than fear,
stronger than division,
stronger than death.
Let love be the mark of our lives.
Then the world will know that God is love.
Biblical Reflections on the Gospel of Matthew
Scripture Attribution
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition,
copyright © 1989, 1993
the Division of Christian Education of the National Council
of the Churches of
Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Content License
© 2025 Krakus.
Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
(Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial).