Daily Meditation: Friday, January 24, 2003

It was St Paul, in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, …

01/24/2003

It was St Paul, in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, who said: 'And now faith, hope, and charity abide, these three; and the greatest of these is charity.' Faith, hope, and love are called 'theological' virtues because it is through them that we can be in touch with God. But when questioned, most people answer that this does not mean much to them. In actual fact, whoever they may be, and whatever their degree of evolution or education, all human beings believe, hope, and love. But if they are so often disappointed in their beliefs, hopes, and loves, it is because they do not know where or in whom to place them. In fact, they almost certainly do not know what it means to love God or to believe or hope in him. Hope, faith, and love are the only forces that sustain us through life. Faith in God frees us from the grip of illusions. Hope in Him preserves us from the anxieties of our material existence. Finally, love of Him enables us to reach and secure our hold on the summit without risk of falling.