4th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C
Jeremiah 1: 4-5, 17-19; Corinthians 12: 31-13:13;
Luke 4:21-30
My mother-in-law is an amazing person. She is eighty some-odd years young and still very active. She plays cards, goes bowling, reads voraciously and loves – absolutely loves picture puzzles. Every time we go to her house, there is a new puzzle being constructed on her dining room table. My mother-in-law is also very thrifty with her money. She would never buy herself a book – she goes to the library. And she would never buy herself a new puzzle – she gets them from yard sales and such. Occasionally this presents a problem. There have been times when she’s worked for days on completing a puzzle only to discover that it is missing a couple of pieces. It is flawed and incomplete.
Today’s second reading we hear Paul talking about the virtues of love. This passage from Corinthians is usually proclaimed at weddings or sometimes at funerals. As it was being read today, I saw a couple of tears as the litany rolled on … Love is patient, kind, not envious or boastful, not rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not self-seeking or prone to anger. It does not brood over injuries. It rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to its forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure…
This reading from Corinthians is also consoling. There is great comfort in knowing that, no matter what our failings and insignificance, our God – who is love – is ever kind and patient with us. God is there with endless love and endless mercy for each of us.
Paul’s letter also contains a disclaimer of sorts. It tells us that we can only know this perfect love partially. We cannot experience this love fully and completely until we are face to face with God. There are pieces missing from the puzzle. We know that going in. How could there not be with an imperfect world and imperfect people? But this picture of love is worth saving. It cannot be tossed aside or thrown away. We must continue to search for the fragments that will make this image come alive.
My family was fortunate enough to volunteer and participate in building a Habitat for Humanity house that was sponsored by St. Gabriel last spring. It was a great experience and I will gladly do it again. On Thursday morning when we arrived, there was only a foundation with a sub-floor. By Saturday evening when we left, the house was under roof with doors and windows. It was an amazing thing to see. At one point during the process, I got a little annoyed with my wife. Everyone was working hard, it seemed, except her. She was chatting with Jewel, the lady whose house we were building. At the time, I felt that Susan wasn’t doing her fair share. Looking back on the event now, I realize how misguided those feelings were. For me and for many others, the Habitat for Humanity experience was an act of charity. For my wife Susan, it became so much more. We weren’t building a St. Gabriel sponsored house, we were building a home for Jewel Neil and her children. For Susan, the experience was transformed from an act of charity into an action of Love. That distinction makes all of the difference in the world. Susan managed to collect a piece of the picture that eluded me.
It is only through direct contact with others that we find a deeper meaning in our actions. When the first reports of the earthquake in Haiti hit the airwaves, it was difficult to comprehend what was happening. We knew where Haiti was, we learned that they were the poorest nation in this hemisphere, we found out how devastating a 7.0 earthquake is. As more in-depth reports began to air, and we saw the faces of those affected – heard their stories – it became more real for us. We were introduced to the victims of the devastation. We saw the horrible pictures of trucks piled high with the dead. We saw riots as food and water supplies arrived. Even watching on TV we have come to know and care for these people.
God understands this. That is why Jesus came into the world – so that God could have that face to face contact with us. That is why God continues to know us, continues to love us, continues to make that presence felt in our lives:
- through the scriptures
- through the sacraments
- through the influence & enlightenment of the Holy Spirit
- through the actions of others
God continues to leave pieces of the puzzle of perfect love for us to discover and assemble. We just need to open our eyes and our hearts to their presence in our lives.
Deacon Darryl J. Diemer
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 31, 2010
