but the greatest of these is love

I remember being at Mass several months ago (or maybe a year or more) and hearing the scripture from 1Cor13, and thinking that I had screwed up at most of the items on the list.  I mean, I used to like that passage - it sounded so nice - all about love.  But then I got married...  Love is patient (x that off the list).  Love is kind (ummm.... well), etc.  I could just copy chapter 13, take it to confession and say, "Look, Father... everything in here, I have messed up at one time or another."  And so that has stayed in the back of my mind for a while.

Then earlier this year, I heard the good people on KLOVE talking about something called "The Love Dare".  It is a 40 day devotional that guides you to an understanding of what true love is. It's a choice.  I knew with the 40 days, it had Lent's name all over it.  I went to the local Catholic bookstore early in Lent and got the last copy on the shelf.  And so I am working through that.  So far, I highly recommend it.  It might very well be an answer to the prayer, "Help me to love better."  Because if I do not have love, I gain nothing. (1Cor13:3)  But it didn't take me long to figure out that I had a long way to go, and in some of those areas, my dear hubby is actually *gasp* doing a better job than me!  

Coincidentally enough, following up an awesome Bible Study lesson on unforgiveness (Matt 18) two weeks ago,  was one on marriage (Matt 19).  The presentation was pretty good, but I think what touched me more than the DVD presentation was the homework.  Part of what we had to do was to read what the Catholic Catechism has to say about marriage.  I had never read that before, but I thought it was beautiful.  Paragraphs 1601-1617 and 1642.  You can read that here, should the spirit move you.  It helps to explain the source of the conflict (thanks, Adam and Eve) and the plans God really has for marriage. 

We are all very much works in progress, but hopefully by the end of Lent, I will be more than the clanging cymbal that St. Paul speaks of.