Overview:

The Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

A Reflection for the Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:8–12)

Find today’s readings here.

My grandmother is 96 years old. Over the last few months, her memory has declined severely. She is no longer able to hold a real conversation with us or meaningfully remember the things we tell her. 

Despite how her body and mind have aged, there are moments when my grandmother’s personality and character still shine through. During a recent visit to her senior home, she kept looking at my younger brother (her youngest grandchild, for whom she always had a special  affection) and breaking into gentle laughter. His presence was joyful to her, even if she couldn’t articulate why. 

And when we said a prayer with her at the end of our visit, she started speaking along with us, reciting both the Our Father and the Hail Mary. Her heart remembered the prayers and she wanted to say them, even if she couldn’t tell us exactly what they meant. 

I was reminded of my grandmother and this moment with her when reflecting on today’s reading from 1 Corinthians. It tells us: “Love never fails.” 

Most other things will fail, the reading makes clear. Our prophecies will be “brought to nothing” and our tongues “will cease.” We “see indistinctly” and “know partially.” Our human capacities are limited and imperfect. This is true for my grandmother, and it is true for us all. 

But not love. Love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Through the weakness of her body and memory, my grandmother loves my little brother and the rest of my family. And after a long and faithful life, she still loves her God. Her love endures. It believes. 

May the resilience of her love be a testament to the beautiful life she lived and the beautiful heart she has. And may we all be equally blessed, to be left with love when all else fades and fails.

Brigid McCabe is America’s assistant editor for digital strategy. She was previously a 2025-2026 O’Hare Fellow.