4th Sunday - Second Reading - 1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13 – So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1. Copyrighted material that appears in this article is included under the provisions of the Fair Use Clause of the National Copyright Act, which allows limited reproduction of copyrighted materials for
educational and religious use when no financial charge is made for viewing. Catholic Lectionary. (2009). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

2. Brothers and Sisters:
12:31Strive eagerly for the
greatest spiritual gifts. But I
shall show you a still more
excellent way.
13:1If I speak in human and
angelic tongues but do not
have love, I am a resounding
gong or a clashing cymbal.
2 And if I have the gift of
prophecy and comprehend all
mysteries and all knowledge; if
I have all faith so as to move
mountains but do not have
love, I am nothing.
3 If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so
that I may boast but do not
have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It is
not jealous, (love) is not
pompous, it is not inflated,
5 it is not rude, it does not seek
its own interests, it is not
quick-tempered, it does not
brood over injury,
6 it does not rejoice over
wrongdoing but rejoices with
the truth.

3. 7 It bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things,
endures all things.
8 Love never fails. If there are
prophecies, they will be
brought to nothing; if tongues,
they will cease; if knowledge,
it will be brought to nothing.
9 For we know partially and we
prophesy partially,
10 but when the perfect comes,
the partial will pass away.
11 When I was a child, I used to
talk as a child, think as a child,
reason like a child; when I
became a man, I put aside
childish things.
12 At present we see indistinctly,
as in a mirror, but then face to
face. At present I know
partially; then I shall know
fully, as I am fully known.
13 So faith, hope, love remain,
these three; but the greatest of
these is love.

4. 1 Cor. 13:4-7 God
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love)
is not pompous, it is not inflated,
5 it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is
not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
6 it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with
the truth.
7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things.

5. Substitution
Let’s re-read the passage but remove the
word Love and insert your own name.

6. 1 Cor. 13:4-7 God
4 Dan is patient, Dan is kind. Dan is not jealous,
(Dan) is not pompous, (Dan) is not inflated,
5 (Dan) is not rude, (Dan) does not seek (his) own
interests, (Dan) is not quick-tempered, (Dan) does
not brood over injury,
6 (Dan) does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices
with the truth.
7 (Dan) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things.

7. My Wish
It sure would be nice if those statements were true
but unfortunately they aren’t.
How did you do?
Now instead of using our own name, let’s substitute
“God” for the word “Love.”

8. 1 Cor. 13:4-7 God
4 God is patient and kind; God is not jealous or
boastful;
5 God is not arrogant or rude. God does not insist on
his own way; God is not irritable or resentful;
6 God does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the
right.
7 God bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things.

9. God’s Love
Perfect love, a love like God has for each of us, is the kind
of love that we should strive to develop in ourselves and
freely give to others.
Sure we might not measure up all of the time but that
knowledge should not prevent us from trying, should it?