Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: September 16,2026

LECTIO - Read Scripture Text:   1 Corinthians 12:31-13-13

Strive eagerly for the best gifts, and I will show you a more excellent way.

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing, If I give all I own to feed the poor, and if I hand my body over to be burned but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous. Love is not pompous. It is not puffed up. It is not rude. It does not seek its own interests. It is not easily provoked. It does not think evil. It does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will fail; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. As for now, we see through a glass, darkly. But then face to face. At present, I know partially. Then I shall know fully as I am also known. So, faith, hope, love remain, these three, but the greatest of these is love.

MEDITATIO - Meditate on text, allow the LORD to touch us with His Word:

Am I loving as Christ calls me to love?

BREAKING OPEN THE TEXT:

In today’s first reading, St. Paul explains Christ’s “more excellent way” – the way of love – “agape” or “caritas.” This, Paul tells us, is the greatest of all spiritual gifts and the essential measure of holiness. Without this love, even great feats will be hollow. Our LORD is love and we cannot draw near with love. We must realize it is not a shallow emotion but rather an all giving, principled way of life chosen moment to moment as we journey in Christ. It is unconditional and sacrificial as Christ’s love for us.

ORATIO – Lifting our minds and hearts to the LORD in prayer:

Gracious and loving LORD, Father, Son, and Spirit, teach us the way of love for You are love and without You and your love and grace and guidance, we cannot hope to live into the ones You created us to be, call us to be, and gift us to be. LORD, let us journey in faith, let our minds and hearts be buoyed in hope, and grant that our lives be journeys of love. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

CONTEMPLATIO – Sitting with the LORD in silence for a minute or more