Faith, Hope and Love

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 24th week in Ordinary time

September 18, 2024 -  1 Corinthians 12:31 - 13:13; Luke 7: 31-35

These days the Word has been speaking to us about living our faith in action, beginning with the Sunday that has just gone by. And today, we have the discourse about the most concrete and fundamental expression of faith - an essential and exclusive element - Charity. It is essential because without it we cannot make sense of faith; it is exclusive because where there is no charity, there is in fact no faith, what we find is at the most, a fake faith or a misunderstood faith. 

At times Charity could be miunderstood and misinterpreted as approving of everything that the other does, invariable of what it is or what is the value at stake, merely because I have to prove that I love that person. The understanding of the world today is this... while Jesus reminds us, it is childish; it is infantile; Charity would hurt at times, it would cause mutual suffering at times... but always towards the good of the other! 

"Good of the other" - that is the key to understand the right sense of love or Charity! That does away with selfishness, pride and jealousy. That is the key that places the other at the centre and that is the key that can make our regard for God, as the ultimate Other, true and sincere. That is why, it is love that makes our faith authentic and valid. These three, faith, hope and love abide; the greatest of these is love!