Joined to His Body: A Love Story
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
1 Corinthians 13:1-7
If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Grace Prayed For
The scripture passage prompts us to pray for the grace of supernatural love. We should ask for the ability to love others with the very love that Jesus has for us, a love that is patient, kind, and self-sacrificial. This is the love that empowers us to both share and receive in every encounter, reflecting the heart of our Trinitarian God.
Reflection
This passage is not just a poetic description of an abstract ideal; it’s the very heartbeat of Jesus, and through him, it becomes the rhythm of our own lives. When Jesus looked at me, at you, he saw us not as a list of sins but as his beloved. He saw beyond our shortcomings and loved us with a patience that bore our weaknesses, a kindness that healed our wounds. He didn’t seek his own interests on the cross; he gave everything, so that through his wounded body, we could be made whole and united with him and with each other.
This isn’t a love we manufacture on our own. It’s a gift we receive from the Trinitarian God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who is an eternal dance of self-giving love. As Jesus unites me to his body, the Church, he gives me a share in this divine life. I can now love with his love. When I encounter someone, whether it’s the cashier at the grocery store, a family member, or a stranger on the street, it’s an opportunity to share the love I’ve received from Jesus. I can be patient when they’re irritable, kind when they’re struggling, and bear their burdens with a heart that has been broken open by his grace.
And this isn’t a one-way street. The beauty of being united to his body is that I also learn to receive from others. Just as Jesus received comfort from his friends and the care of his mother, I am invited to let others minister to me. When I’m in need, a friend’s compassion, a stranger’s smile, or a colleague’s encouragement can be the very love of Christ flowing through them to me. This constant exchange of giving and receiving is what makes the body of Christ alive and dynamic. It is the mission to bring this love into the world, to be a living testament to the truth that love is the greatest of all.
Announcing Jesus in Our Lives
Evangelizing doesn’t always mean preaching from a pulpit; it’s about living a life so profoundly impacted by Jesus that it becomes a message in itself. Because Jesus has loved me and impacted my life so deeply, I can partner with him to restore God’s creation in simple, yet powerful, ways. I can choose to be patient with my children even when I’m tired, mirroring Jesus’s patience with me. I can be kind to a coworker who is struggling, offering a listening ear and a word of encouragement. I can choose not to gossip or “rejoice over wrongdoing,” but instead to rejoice in the truth of a person’s dignity, created in God’s image. My baptismal mission is to be a living, breathing part of Christ’s body in the world, restoring brokenness with acts of love—one encounter, one kind word, and one moment of patience at a time.
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Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post