Love abides

“And now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Cor 1:13

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Dear friends in Christ Jesus, in today’s reflection let us focus on one of the greatest attributes given to God and that is love. St. Paul is teaching the Corinthians to love one another because he has convinced himself that God is love. St. Paul encountered God's love when he had the encounter of Jesus on the way to Damascus. Since then he was carried away by the love of God. He changed life forever. Instead of persecuting the followers of Christ he helped to increase the followers of Christ.  St. Paul says that love is patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not arrogant or rude, rejoices in the truth, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things and love never ends.

It is not only just the experience of Paul that God is love even the other disciples of Jesus. In the first letter of John 4:16 we read “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” It is also the personal experience of each one of us as believers in Jesus. God the Father sending his Son Jesus to save the world was a great act of love. If God doesn’t love us he would not have sent Jesus for us.

Day by day all of us called to grow in God's love. We could grow in God’s love by knowing him better through reading of the Scripture. Love is always expressed in word and in deed. Even the small things that we do in our daily life with great love for God and neighbor will make us better human beings. Let us have faith in God, let us hope in God and let us abide in the love of God. Amen.

Bible Reflection on 1 Cor 13: 1-13 by Fr. George Joseph SVD.

God is among you | Deus in vobis

Truly, God is among you - 1 Corinthians 14:25

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Short sentence, yet meaningful. God affirms His presence in every situation. Verse 21 describes the stubbornness of the hearts of those who do not believe in God. God's grace works in ways that are difficult for us to grasp and understand. Speaking in different tongues/different languages, will be a sign for those who lack faith. How can a language unknown to humans be spoken in chaos, yet easily understood by believers? God's work is truly powerful, as long as we believe that God is always among us in any difficult situation. My own experiment in some difficult moments when I can't do anything, that's the time to remember God, fully surrender and believe in His strengthening presence, suddenly feel a new strength just appear in my conscience. 

Faith in God provides a way out of all kinds of life's chaos.  Just as in relationships with those we love most in this world that require mutual trust, so too God expects trust from us His people. Believing even just a little that God is powerful, that God is always there for us His people whenever and wherever, then all difficult situations could be overcome. 

Sometimes we think too far and dig into God's secrets until finally we don't find the answer and may even apostatize. Let God's secrets only be understood and believed in, not to be explored until we reach conclusions beyond our reach and then even deny the faith that has grown. Let God's spirit work on us beyond our excessive curiosity about the secrets of Divine power. God bless us.

Reflection on 1 Corinthians 14: 20-40 by Sr Yanti Purnawati SFSC

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The Spirit | Spiritus

"So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church" - 1 Cor 14:12

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In the first half of chapter 14 of the First Letter to Corinthians, Paul affirms the Corinthians’ desire for spiritual gifts. Yet he reshapes their understanding of what those gifts are for. Spiritual gifts are never given simply for personal enrichment or private satisfaction; they are entrusted to believers for the sake of others. 

The first words of this chapter are "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts" (1 Cor 14:1). Love comes first. Before speaking about gifts, abilities, or spiritual experiences, Paul names love as the path that must guide them all.  By calls for "pursuing love" and “striving to excel in building up the church”, Paul sets the standard by which all spiritual eagerness must be judged.

These verses challenge the tendency to view spiritual growth as something we accumulate for ourselves, solely for our own sake or satisfaction. Gifts such as speaking, teaching, discernment, or leadership are not spiritual possessions to be just cumulated or enjoyed by ourselves. Rather, they are responsibilities—means by which God’s grace reaches the wider community. With them, we are to serve and strenghten others.

Paul thus calls to a spirituality shaped by love and service. What is important is not how gifted we appear, but how much our gifts help others grow in faith, find encouragement, and experience God’s presence. 

In this way, this passage invites us to reflect on our own spiritual desires. Are we pursuing growth primarily for ourselves, or are we seeking to become more capable of loving others? Paul reminds us that authentic faith and love are not inward- but outward-facing. 

We are to seek growth not just for ourselves, but so that our lives may become instruments through which God strengthens others. To pursue love is to seek gifts that help others flourish and to allow God’s grace to flow through us. 

Reflection on 1 Corinthians 14:1-19 by Agata Wierzbowska

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