More Excellent (Dude) | January 31 2016

January 31, 2016

Today’s second ready is one of those that we have probably heard over and over again. In fact, some of us may even have this one memorized (not a strong suit for Catholics!). It might be Paul’s most poetic and thoughtful writing and well…and one of the many reasons why he is my boyfriend. This reading has become somewhat trite and cliché because it is read at most weddings, printed on greeting cards, used as wall decorations, and since we have heard it so many times, it might be like a cup of lukewarm coffee at this point (I mean I’ll still drink it because it’s coffee, but I won’t celebrate it like I would a fresh hot cup of goodness). Let’s look at it with new eyes today.

First, Paul encourages us to strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. Think about whatever it is that you are personally passionate about: Music? Sports? Writing? Career? Education? And how do you strive eagerly to flourish in that passion? We should put at least that much effort into growing spiritually as well so that the gifts of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, good counsel, courage, piety, and awe and wonder will strengthen within us. Sounds simple, but we know it is not and I personally need a wake up call this day to spiritual eagerness.

Then Paul says that striving eagerly for spiritual gifts is a great start, but he knows a more excellent way (I can’t help giving Paul a surfer dude accent when he says “more excellent”. I always insert the word “dude” in there because it makes me laugh! Sorry, I digress.) But then he does a bit of a self-inventory, which I invite each of us to do right now…

·      If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.

·      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.

·      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.

Finally, to make sure that we truly understand this word “love”, he spells it out in very specific ways. I wonder what exactly was going on in his life at the time when he wrote this. I know that when I write I have no choice but to write from my own personal experience and place in life and I imagine Paul did the same. So, was there a relationship in turmoil and/or was he in a relationship that modeled this kind of excellent love? Either way, Paul knew about the absence of true love AND the presence of true love and I think it is safe to assume that each one of us does too. So let’s do another self-check with his definitions of love and if we are lacking in any, may we commit ourselves to seeking these things eagerly. The tricky part about this passage on love is that we now kind of only think it applies to marriage because we hear it at all the weddings, but Paul (a single guy) was writing this as a way for us to interact with everyone and Jesus (another single guy) would concur. I need this self-check more than anyone right now as I have noticed myself lacking in patience and kindness and several other things that love is supposed to be. I want to strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts and love is the beginning of them all so…

1.     First read the passage as it is.

2.     Then read the passage and swap out the word “love” with God.

3.     Read it again and swap out the word “love” with the name of someone in your life that loves you (your spouse, your beloved, your best friend, your parent, etc.). Do this as many times as you need with various people’s names if you want.

4.     Finally read it again and swap out the word “love” with your own name.  

Love is patient, love is kind.

Love is not jealous, love is not pompous,

Love is not inflated, love is not rude,

love does not seek its own interests,

love is not quick-tempered, love does not brood over injury,

love does not rejoice over wrongdoing

but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things.

Perhaps you’d like to make a personal list of the above definitions that are currently a challenge or lacking for you. Pray them as a mantra, over and over again. Then give thanks for those that are strong in your life and bless whomever it is that you included in your meditation today. I pray that we are intentional in growing our spiritual gifts. I pray that the partial in us steadily passes with each day as we recommit ourselves to Christ and as we grow in those virtues that will make us perfect someday: faith, hope, and love. And please remember that love NEVER fails.

Reading 1 JER 1:4-5, 17-19

The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

But do you gird your loins;
stand up and tell them
all that I command you.
Be not crushed on their account,
as though I would leave you crushed before them;
for it is I this day
who have made you a fortified city,
a pillar of iron, a wall of brass,
against the whole land:
against Judah’s kings and princes,
against its priests and people.
They will fight against you but not prevail over you,
for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm PS 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17

R. (cf. 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.

Reading 2 1 COR 12:31—13:13

Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
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.
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.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

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.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
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.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

Alleluia LK 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 4:21-30

Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying:
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. 
They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say,
‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”
And he said, “Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.