Love Deeper

A Reflection on the Second Reading for January 30th, 2022:
The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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1 Corinthians
13.4-13 (shorter)
(For the longer version, see the print edition of Living with Christ.)

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I put an end to childish ways.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
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I’m getting married in 5 months.


If you’ve ever planned a wedding or helped a friend who’s getting married, you know the frenzy that ensues with getting ready for the big day.


The guestlist, the dress, the invitations, etc.: It’s all so much to organize.


​In the past few weeks, I’ve been just struck with this feeling of really reframing what is important in this time of preparation. Despite all the stress leading up to it, the wedding will end — the food will be eaten, the wine drunk, and our friends and family members will go home. But the love that was made in covenant with God on that day will last forever.


So, in this time right now — I want this time while I am preparing to help me dig into the core of the second reading for this Sunday’s liturgy.


What does it mean to love?


I think it can be easy in relationships (romantic, friendship, family) to just fall into patterns of behaviour and make excuses. You can become attuned to what is tolerated and accepted without challenging yourself to enter into deeper self-knowledge, kindness, and humility in acknowledging your own areas of insecurity. These are areas of opportunity to love deeper.


I think moments of growth come from the work you put into knowing and loving yourself. Using that knowledge and confidence can allow you to be the best version of yourself. The key to finding that “best version” is in directing the center of our lives around God. He knows our hearts, our desires, our insecurities. His love will help us love each other in our unique relationships better.


Take time this week to sit with the Lord in prayer, journaling — to open our eyes to where we fall short in our relationships — where we become stubborn, unkind, defensive. Allow Him to reveal those areas and the core of why we use these mechanisms to hide from love.


Praying for all of you.




Theresa James
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