LOVE

I corinthians 13 chapter describes love.

- Love calls us to God's ministry
- Love changes others

I. LOVE CALLS US TO GOD'S MINISTRY:

- God's love made Mother Theresa to leave her comforts and come to India for doing the ministry for God.

- God's love made her continue God's ministry inpite of shames and tribulations.

1. Short story:

Once Mother Theresa went to a baker and asked him bread for the children and people in her home. The baker got angry and spat on her. She wiped it off and told the baker that she will accept the spit for her and again asked the baker to give something for her children and people in her home. This statement of hers convicted the heart of the baker. So he gave a lot of bread to the home on that day.

- God's love made Mother Theresa do the ministry. She faithfully did the ministry. So, God protected her ministry.

2. Short Story:

Feeling jealous about the ministry of Mother Theresa, few people complained to a governement official about closing the home run by Mother Theresa. To check what was really going on in the home, the officer went in disguise and observed what was going on in the home. The scene of Mother Theresa's ministry broke the govt. official's heart. She was cleaning the wounds of lepers, and feeding them. The next morning the officer told the jealous people that if they could do what Mother Theresa was doing in the home, he'll close the home. So, God protected Mother Theresa's ministry.

- Love of Mother Theresa was honoured:

To honour the love of Mother Theresa, TamilNadu CM, Mr. MGR opened a university in her name.

II. LOVE CHANGES PEOPLE:

1. Short story:

A man fell in love with a girl. The girl was so cruel that she told the guy to prove his love towards her by bringing the heart of his mother. The guy killed his mother and took his mother's heart to the girl. On the way he slipped and fell down. His mother's heart fell down too. It spoke to him from the ground, saying: "Be careful my son, are you hurt?" Moved by his mother's love, he understood what is true love.

Inference : True love is not selfish, but selfless, just like Jesus' love for us.

2. Story from Fr. Berchmans:

In a college, there was a very pious girl. A guy loved her very much. On the farewell day, the guy proposed his love to that girl. But the girl said that she gave her heart to another person (Jesus) and handed over a Bible, asked him to read it, and left him. Considering her gift as a great asset, the guy read the Bible fully and understood that no love is equal to the love of God. From that day he gave his life to God and started doing the ministry of God.

Inference : Love of God changed that guy to do the ministry of God.

3. Story from Mohan C. Lazarus:

In a town, there was a newly married couple. The husband was very pious and God fearing. He never watched movies whereas his wife liked to watch movies. One day the wife wanted to go for a new movie. She told her husband about her wish. In order to protect the peace in the family, the husband took the wife to the theatre, made her sit in the theatre and told her that he'll come and pick her up after the cinema gets over. He went back home and prayed. The wife initially started to watch the movie. But she could not concentrate on the movie. Thoughts of her husband and what he did without any anger or argument, kept running through her mind. She was not able to watch the movie even for 15 min. She got up and ran back home, and from then on gave up watching movies.

Inference : The love of a husband changed the heart of his wife. True love is patient.

Love is a powerful weapon that changes people. So, love one another in Christ.