love is..

(something i find useful to reflect upon :))

1 Cor. 13

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Right now I am reading St. Liguori's excellent book "the practice of the love of Jesus Christ".. in which he talks about each of these characteristics of love mentioned by Apostle Paul.

love is patient..
how often am i patient with people? (not very..)

love is kind..
how often am i kind to the unkind.. do i sincerely care about people?

it does not envy..
do i ever feel jealous of people?

it does not boast, it is not proud..
pride..something i really need help on

it is not rude..
sometimes i am rude :(

it is not self seeking..
yup definitely need help there..

it is not easily angered..
sometimes when i'm annoyed i'm easily angered

it keeps no record of wrongs..
forgive AND FORGET.

love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth..
this is probably the one that i'm better at..but still, not perfect

it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres..
just like Jesus' love :)

in fact, now that i think of it, all these characteristics apply perfectly to God. He is love. And hopefully the more we are sanctified..the more we are transformed to His likeness..the more we would show patience, kindness, hope, perseverence, etc.

In St. Liguori's book I also found the following:

"this, then, should be our only care, to acquire a true love for Jesus Christ. the spiritual masters describe the signs of true love. Love, say they, is fearful; it fears displeasing God. It is generous, because, trusting in God, it is never dismayed from undertaking even the greatest tasks for His glory. it is strong, because it conquers all its evil appetites, even amid the most violent temptations and the darkest desolation. It is obedient, because it immediately seeks to carry out God's commands. It is pure, because it loves God alone, and only because He deserves to be loved. It is ardent, because it would inflame all people and see them consumed with divine love. It is inebriating, for it makes the soul live as if it were beside itself, as if it no longer saw or felt or had any senses left for things of this world, and was wholly intent on loving God. It is unifying, for it tightly binds together the will of the creature and the will of the Creator. it is yearning, for it fills the soul with desire to leave this world, to fly to a perfect union with God in its happy homeland, so as to love Him there with all its strength".