Of this week’s readings, the second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians stood out to me the most, because I always hear this reading at weddings. In fact, I had the privilege of reading this at my grandparent's wedding and when I hear it at Mass, I think of them. My grandparents were divorced for fourteen years, they had not been married in the Catholic Church because they grew up in a poor, isolated, and small community in Puerto Rico. The closest church within walking distance of their home was an Episcopal church. They met in elementary school and they married at 19. They divorced when I was about 5 years old. During their time apart, my grandmother converted to Catholicism. I saw her get Baptized, receive her first Communion, and get Confirmed all in the same day at the Easter Vigil Mass. She was 62.

My grandfather and grandmother reconnected a few years back and got remarried in the Catholic Church on July 29th, 2016. “Love is patient, love is kind… Love never fails.” These words not only describe the story of my grandparents, but also the story of my grandmother’s conversion. Love is truly patient and kind, but most importantly never fails. It may seem like love failed my grandparents for 14 years, but in that time, they were able to grow individually in their faith and eventually ended up right back together through the grace of God. This story shows me that God never gives up on his children. At 62 years old my grandmother became Catholic and God was patient with her, he showed her kindness, and he did not fail her. We also must allow God’s love to fill our lives before we can love others. God works in so many wonderful and mysterious ways, but most importantly he loves each and every one of his children in such a personal and individualized way. God is always there for us and he will never fail us.