September 19, 2018 Wednesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time-B

1 Corinthians 12:31—13:3

Psalm 33

Luke 7:31-35

…if I…do not have love, I am nothing.  1 Cor. 13:3

Lord, through your servant Paul, you raised the bar very high for our relationship with you and with each other.  Relationships, rather than rituals or rules, is the real energy of our religion.  Love is the life-blood of everything we think, say and do as we follow you as your disciples.  That’s the goal and it is a high one.  We make choices how we respond to every person we meet.  Some are easy to love, others, not so much.  Paul even points out that good deeds done without love count for nothing.  The challenge before us is to choose to love even in difficult and even tragic times.  Choosing to love the unlovable requires help from you, Lord.  The road to loving as you call us to begins with accepting your overwhelming love for me.  When I can at least partially appreciate the love of the cross then I can look on other people and begin to offer them what you have given to me.  It also helps me to pray for those who are hard to love.  May I be patient, kind and understanding to everyone I meet today.  Help me, dear Jesus, to grow in love today.  Amen.