Familiarity with St. Paul's beautiful teachings on faith , hope and love - "and the greatest of these is love" ( 1 Cor: 13:13) - does not reduce their significance. Rather, they need to be studied and re-studied to see their place in relation to our everyday, humdrum lives. Where do these "higher gifts" fit in and how do they "last"?

Mitch Albion in his book "Tuesdays with Morrie" has this to say: "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. they seem half asleep, even when they are busy doing things they think are important. This is because they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you and devote yourself to something that gives you purpose and meaning." He has put into present-day language what Paul teaches and what we take for granted and what we lose sight of: that Christianity is a message of love which can only be effectively preached by those who manifest love for others.

If only the people of Jesus' time were aware of this. Then they would not have been so critical of Jesus' feasting and drinking with the sinners, nor of John the Baptist's fasting. Nothing satisfied their self-proclaimed standards because they lacked the wisdom to live the greatest of virtues, love.