Faith and love are two of the most beautiful gifts God has given to the human heart, yet they are never meant to be separated. Faith allows us to believe in God, to trust that He is who He says He is. Love, on the other hand, allows us to live that faith—to make it real through our words and actions. Without love, faith becomes like a flame without warmth: it may still be visible, but it no longer gives life.
Saint Paul spoke of this mystery so clearly in his first letter to the Corinthians: “If I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). Faith opens our eyes to the truth of God; love opens our hearts to share in His life. One without the other is incomplete. We might know the truth of the Gospel, but unless love moves us to live it, our faith remains a theory rather than a relationship.
The Church teaches that faith is the foundation, hope is the bridge, and love is the perfection of the Christian life. Through faith, we believe; through hope, we trust; through love, we become one with God Himself, who is love. When our faith is united with love, it bears fruit—acts of mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and courage that reveal God’s presence in the world.
In our daily lives, this means that true faith cannot stay locked in our minds. It must reach our hands, our words, and our hearts. When we pray, serve others, forgive, and care for those in need, our faith is made alive by love. The more we love, the deeper our faith becomes—because love brings us into the very heart of the One we believe in.
Faith without love may believe in God, but love with faith lives in Him. Let us pray that our faith may always be lit by love, so that others may see the light of Christ shining through us.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
