Readings:
2 Chronicles 29-30
Sirach 29
1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13

Paul moves on from the other spiritual gifts to talk about the most important one. Love is the highest gift because it fulfills the whole law, it “covers a multitude of sins” and it is the reason we have hope. For God so loved the world… that’s not an abstract concept, it’s every individual that’s ever lived, he loved us like there was only one of us, and he died for each of us. Individually and personally, he gave his life for us. That’s how important love is.

The school of Christ is the school of love. In the last day, when the general examination takes place … Love will be the whole syllabus.

Saint Robert Bellarmine

Love is the most important of all, and Paul makes that clear by listing all kinds of spiritual gifts that a person can have but without love they’re utterly worthless. All of theses things, prophecy, knowledge, speaking in tongues, all of them will come to an end, but not love.

Paul lists the three theological virtues; faith, hope and love, and he notes that the first two will pass away, but love is eternal. What does this mean? Faith will come to an end in the eternal age because we’ll see God face to face. Hope will be no more because the eternal happiness with God will be realized. But love never dies because God is love.

Readings:
2 Chronicles 31-32
Sirach 30
1 Corinthians 14