Sunday Scripture Readings

Submitted on May 24, 2007

Send to friendFourth Sunday in ordinary time, February 1 Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19; Psalm 71; 1 Corinthians 12:31, 13:13; Luke 4:21-30 OUR GOOD NEWS: What must we do to please God? Today’s second reading, the most popular scripture text read at weddings, invites our more thorough examination. This letter was addressed by St. Paul to a young local Church, dazzled by spectacular Spirit (charismatic) gifts with which they had been richly blessed. Paul reminded them — and reminds us — that love is immeasurably superior and the essence of Christian living (the "way"). Without love, speaking in unknown tongues (glossolalia), even in the most mysterious languages, remains mere noise. Equally worthless by comparison are (a) the power to proclaim God’s Word (prophecy) and to master in detail all the mysteries of God’s plan for universal salvation; as well as (b) faith strong enough to perform the most astonishing miracles. Nor can one escape into demanding but loveless service of one’s neighbor or compensate for lack of love with fanatic religious zeal climaxing in a martyr’s horrible death. The Corinthian audience should have blushed for shame when Paul’s list of what love is and is not was read aloud. And so should we. These constitute the daily sins of Christians in every generation, too often disguised as virtue. There is simply no end (limit) to be placed on love, for it extends always and everywhere to everyone, no matter the degree and duration of others’ unloving behavior. The reason is that love and love alone essentially characterizes Christian life, whether on earth or in heaven. The Church’s various charisms (spiritual gifts) are necessary means for uniting the hidden God with His Chosen People, but these gifts become obsolete when perfect union is achieved in God’s Kingdom. Paul’s final words are the most arresting of this challenging passage. Not even the greatest of virtues, faith and hope, can endure without love, which is the driving force and secret of life in time and eternity. Paul’s concern throughout was the unity and harmony of the Corinthian community, called like the rest of us to a "realized eschatology" of divine love lived in the here and now. To summarize, Paul gave us his concrete answer to what love really means. Hard work, prayer and good works are no substitute for sensitive, gentle love. The true Christian is not the one who works harder or keeps the cleanest house but the most loving. Prophets (first reading) usually tell people what they need to know but don’t want to hear. Jeremiah’s was an extreme case. Doomed to loneliness as the only Israelite faithful to the Lord, he called in vain for repentance. In his prophetic vocation, which he lived out while encountering rejection and persecution, Jeremiah anticipated Jesus, greatest of all prophets.