The Greatest Of These

To my son Tommy,

My inspiration comes from so many sources. From cartoons to great works of literature, from movies to radio, from heroes to crooks, from science to religion, from boring chores to extraordinary events, and from all points in between, my muse varies as much as my interest. But my message to you could probably be summed up and boiled down to a few common threads. One of those lessons is how love makes life worth living. Today's inspiration came from the second reading at mass today which comes from the first letter written by Paul to the Corinthians. It always makes me think of your wonderful mother and our commitment to each other but the love spoken of transcends just the love between a man and a woman.  It encompasses all love and all love has one true Source.  I could expound on these words forever, but sometimes words are so beautiful and ring so true and hold such a special place that they can only be quoted word for word and passed on.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. 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 gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Sincerely with love (that bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things) from your dad,
Leo