15/09/2026
16 September (Wednesday)
24th Week in Ordinary Time (II)
SS CORNELIUS, Pope, and CYPRIAN, Bishop,
Martyrs
1 Cor 12:31—13:13; Ps 32 (33):2-5, 12, 22;
Jn 3:31-36 (Ps Wk IV)
The Corinthians were taking pride in the charismatic gifts
such as speaking in tongues, prophesying, and healing.
However, St Paul urged them to seek the greatest gift of
Christian love which includes all other gifts and without
which all gifts are useless. Then he goes into practicality. By
love he does not mean some ethereal and nebulous feeling.
Nothing could be more down to earth than his words, “love is
patient, love is kind…” There is no limit to love's forbearance,
to its trust, its hope, and its power to endure. It has often
been observed that whenever Paul writes the word "love,"
the name of Christ can be inserted, eg, "Christ is patient,
Christ is kind…” There is no limit to Christ's forbearance, to
His trust, His hope, His power to endure. When a Christian
acts, he must act as Christ does - with love. One might even
say that the Christ within us yearns to have us allow Him
to love others through our humanity. He wants to love
with our hearts, to embrace others with our arms, and to
serve our brothers and sisters with our hands. He wishes to
continue to go about doing good through us, the members
of His body. Our love must be practical in the down-to-earth
manner as described by St Paul. And this life of love will lift
us even now above mere human existence. Here on earth
our lives will already share with Christ in the blessedness of
the heavenly kingdom.
PRAYER Christ Jesus, I love You; help me to love others.