Comfort: Being Known Before Birth

~~~ Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

 

~~~Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19~~~Psalm 71~~~1 Corinthians 12:31—13:13 or 13:4-13~~~Luke 4:21-30~~~

 

 

'...The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you...'

 

Not only did God know the prophet Jeremiah before his birth;

he also knows each of us.

This is both comforting, humbling, and frightening at the same time.

Why would God care that much for one of us, his creatures,

when there are so many of us?

But this is one of the wonders of God.

No matter how many of us are born he knows us intimately.

 

There is a certain amount of security in coming to someone you know and who knows you.

In times of joy and sorrow we tend to gravitate to those who know us well.

So it should be easy for us to come to God with all of our joys and cares.

When someone knows you they are more likely to listen

and be compassionate toward you.

All of this is realized through the love that Saint Paul

 is writing to the Corinthians about today.

 

 

'...If I give away everything I own...
 ...but do not have love, I gain nothing...'

No matter how many spiritual gifts you find yourself possessing

none can compare with love.

 

Love is the greatest of all. Love never fails.

Every year the church gives us this reading about love.

We need to be constantly reminded about God's

 direction to love above anything else.

 

It is not always easy to love, but we must constantly hold

God's love as a benchmark for how we are to love.

 

The increase of violent crimes in our country makes me doubt sometimes

 if this we are a Bible reading culture.

Because if we at least read this passage Paul wrote to the Corinthians

perhaps we would be acting differently.

 

Our challenge is to love when everything within our mind and body

is screaming something else...like revenge.

 

I invite you to pay attention to your feelings;

the next time you find loving another challenging try a little harder.

 

Live the true gospel message of love...

in all situations.