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Gospel Reading for August 10, 2026 – John 12: 24-26
LANGUAGE
Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”
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The four-letter word that best describes dying to oneself is LOVE. If we look at all the teachings of Jesus and the kind of life he lived, everything ultimately points to one thing: LOVE. It is the LANGUAGE of God, and if we are truly his servants, then it must become our LANGUAGE as well.
As St. Paul beautifully describes in his First Letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 13:1–13), LOVE never fails. This is not merely romantic love, but agape LOVE—love that expects nothing in return, love that places the needs of others above one’s own, and philia—brotherly and friendly love that binds people together in genuine care and compassion.
True LOVE bears much fruit: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It cannot produce bad fruit, because it comes from God himself.
Lord Jesus, help us to allow this LOVE to shape our thoughts, words, and actions, so we may someday attain eternal life with you. Amen.
