“By this all shall know you are
Mine”
Acts 14:21-27; Rev 21:1-5a; Jn 13:31-33a,34-35 (Easter 5/
C)
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has
never been able to overpower it”
After watching Mother Teresa care for a man with
gangrene, an American journalist remarked, “I wouldn’t do that for a million
dollars.” Mother Teresa replied, “Neither would I… but I do it for the love of
God.” Selfishness, at times, keeps us shut in human relations with others. Caring
for others and being good neighbors to them frees us from the works of the flesh.
Upon our Savior's departure from the world, he made
provision for the perpetuity of his work upon earth and among men. He did this
by constituting a community of his spirit-filled people. They are united by the
bond of his new reformative strength. The bond which the Lord intended to knit
his people together was three, and “a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Faith in Christ (1), love for one another (2), and benevolent effort for the
world's salvation (3). This is the threefold cord of Christian discipleship by
which the Church is to be cemented into a true unity. The Savior, in today’s
Gospel passage, lays stress upon the second, that is, “love for one another”.
Paul the Apostle tells us, “Love has been poured into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit, which has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). The
distinctive mark of every disciple and follower of Jesus Christ is love. This
love is ready to forgive and forget past injuries, to heal and restore rather
than inflict revenge and injury. The cross of Jesus is the only way to pardon,
peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Every other way will fail or fall short
of the glory and victory that Jesus Christ has won for us through his death and
resurrection. He loved his disciples selflessly. He loved them sacrificially. He
loved them understandingly. He loved
them forgivingly. It is an outward sign of Christian discipleship. That’s why
he clearly said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you
have love one for another” (Jn 13:35). If we embrace his love, truth, and allow
his Spirit, his Spirit will purify and transform our hearts and minds. It will enable
us to find the inner freedom, joy, and strength we need to love without
measure, boundaries, or gradation, or even without bridges to forgive without
limit, and to serve without reward. It reflects upon social justice and righteousness.
The 19th-century Encyclical “Rerum Novarum” brings the
meaning of “love of neighbor”. It emphasizes the dignity of the human person,
the common good, and the importance of solidarity in the context of the
relationship between capital and labor. The encyclical advocates for a society
built on mutual respect, fair policies, and a shared commitment to the
well-being of all (Pope Leo XIII). Another aspect of practicing love has the
power to heal ourselves and others. To love is to heal, both those who receive
and those who give it. To decide to love is to be fully open to life. It is a choice
and not just a feeling. When we choose to be loving, caring, healing, helping,
and forgiving persons, we grow towards what our life is meant to be. There’s no
other way. So, Jesus insists strongly, ‘Love one another, as I have loved you.
“I give you a new commandment: love one another just as I
have loved you”
No comments:
Post a Comment